


For You

by Wildcard_Rumi



Series: Persona 5 One Shots [20]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Fluff, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-14 06:34:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28916181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildcard_Rumi/pseuds/Wildcard_Rumi
Summary: My piece for the Goro Big Bang 2020 Event.After realising that his mother's birthday is at the end of the month, Goro works his hardest to save up money and buy her something special to celebrate.
Series: Persona 5 One Shots [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1731472
Comments: 9
Kudos: 39
Collections: Goro Big Bang 2020





	For You

**Author's Note:**

> I was partnered with @chrispykrem_art on twitter. Please check out their pieces of artwork, they have a very soft and adorable artstyle.
> 
> https://mobile.twitter.com/chrispykrem_art/status/1352635519121940496?s=20
> 
> Also, probably a selfish request but: if you enjoyed this, please comment. You have no idea how much stress writing this put me through.

"Goro, put your hood up. It's starting to rain." The chestnut haired woman requested as she pulled an umbrella out of her bag.

"Okay, Mama." The young boy politely complied, pulling the hood of his coat up over his head while keeping one hand firmly gripped onto his mother's hand.

The weather was cold and dreary, wet and windy. Typical of early November. The mother and child were walking home from grocery shopping, carefully pushing their way through the crowds to get home and warm themselves up. Goro's fingers were almost numb; the feeling only just being kept in them by the warmth of his mother's hand. His feet were slightly wet, thanks to the hole in the soles of his worn down sneakers.

"We managed to get quite a lot of food, thanks to that sale. What do you want for dinner, Goro?" Asked Sayaka as she pressed the button at the crossing, watching the traffic carefully.

"Mmm… Curry." Answered the small child, shuffling closer to his mother as the crowd waiting to cross the road grew larger.

"Okay, that should be nice and warm. What meat do you want in it?"

"Pork."

"That sounds good. Do you wanna help me make it?"

"Yeah!"

"Thank you, Pancake- Oh, the light's green, c'mon move."

The two jogged across the road and continued on their way home. Unbeknownst to Goro, the laces on his shoes had come undone and trailed underneath him. The laces flopped around with each step, becoming wet and dirty as they dragged along the sidewalk. It was only inevitable that Goro would end up stepping on one. Sure enough, he placed the ball of his foot down, trapping the lace in question. Just one small lace was all it took for him to lose his balance.

"Wah!" Gasped Goro as he tumbled forward, crashing onto the tarmac with a loud 'thud!'.

"Oh! Are you okay, sweetheart?!" Asked Sayaka as she instantly crouched down to help her son back onto his feet. Goro pushed himself up, fighting back the tears that were building up in his eyes due to the stinging pain in his knee. His bottom lip trembled as his mother helped him stand.

"I-I'm fine…" He whimpered. Sayaka wasn't buying his tough guy act. She scanned her eyes across the area around them before noticing a shop with a shelter in front of it.

"C'mon, let's get out of the rain so I can have a look." She announced, gently nudging Goro over to the shop. She lifted Goro onto the ledge by the window.

"Okay, which knee is it?"

"This one." Goro answered, pointing to his left knee. Sayaka nodded as she carefully rolled up his trouser leg and took a look. There was a graze, not too big but not exactly small either.

"Ooh, that looks like it stings… But, it's okay. I'll clean it and patch it up when we get home, okay?" She summarised, looking up at Goro with a comforting smile. The small boy quietly hummed in agreement with a nod of his head as he sniffed through his tears. Sayaka giggled softly to herself.

"Do you want to take a break and rest your knee for a while?" She asked. Goro nodded again. Sayaka gently ruffled his hair as she sat down next to him.

"Aren't you a big, brave boy? Fighting through the pain." She chuckled as she watched Goro holding back his tears.

"It doesn't hurt…" Goro lied with a mumble. Sayaka rolled her eyes with a loving smirk as she pulled a tissue out of her pocket and held it up in front of Goro's nose.

"Blow." She instructed. Goro complied, blowing his nose and letting his mother gently wipe it before throwing the tissue into the nearby bin. As she turned back to look at Goro, she noticed his shoes.

"Well, that's why you fell over." She remarked, kneeling down and grabbing onto the loose laces. As she retied her son's laces, a troubled frown enveloped her face.

"I really need to get you some new shoes…" She muttered. His shoes were barely holding together. There was a large hole in the toe of one, there were holes in the soles of both, the right one's sole was practically falling off at this point.

"No, these are fine." Goro quickly refuted, not wanting his mother to waste any more money on him than she had done already.

"No, they're not, Pancake… And anyway, with the weather getting colder, you need some shoes that keep your feet warm and dry… I really need to buy you some wellies or something like that…" Sayaka replied as she finished tying the laces and sat back on the ledge next to Goro. There had to be a shop that sold cheap, good quality shoes, right? She was pulled out of those thoughts by Goro shivering slightly.

"Are you cold, sweetheart?"

"A little bit…"

Sayaka opened her coat and pulled Goro closer, wrapping her coat around him as the small boy snuggled against her chest. "Is that better?"

A contented smile appeared on Goro's face as he wrapped his arms around his mother's waist. "Mm-hm!"

The two sat there as they warmed themselves up in preparation for their final sprint home. Goro swung his legs carefreely as he cuddled his mother, and Sayaka glanced around and examined her surroundings. As she looked backwards, an item in the shop window caught her eye.

"Ooh…" She murmured in awe.

"Hm?" Goro hummed curiously as he turned around to see what his mother was looking at.

It was a dress.

A very lovely dress.

It was a deep, luxurious shade of purple with a pink cherry blossom pattern around the bottom of the skirt. The sleeves rested gracefully on the edge of the mannequin's shoulders and flowed down to the elbows where the smooth material hung down beautifully. Goro couldn't help but gasp in awe at the sight.

"That's a pretty dress…" He murmured.

"It is, isn't it?" Sayaka agreed.

"You'd look beautiful in it, Mama."

A bashful chuckle escaped Sayaka's mouth at the sudden compliment. "You think so?"

"Yeah!"

Sayaka glanced down at the price tag. Her smile fell. ¥7000… Oh well… It was nice to think about…

Goro noticed the dejected expression on his mother's face and looked at the price himself. Whoa… That was expensive… But still, it hurt to see his mother so disappointed…

"How's your knee doing, Pancake?" Sayaka changed the subject.

"It doesn't sting as much now." Goro answered.

"Do you think you can walk on it all the way home?"

"Yep!"

"Absolutely sure?"

"Yep! Yep!"

"Alright then, c'mon sweetheart, let's get home and have some dinner already." Sayaka announced as she lifted her bags and reached out for Goro's hand. The small boy giggled as he clutched onto her hand.

"Sounds good!"

A pained hiss left Goro's mouth as his mother dabbed disinfectant on his grazed knee. With each little touch, his knee stung intensely. He bit his lip to hold back his cries, averting his gaze to anywhere else in the room while his mother tended to his wound.

"I thought you said it didn't hurt?" Sayaka remarked with an amused smirk.

"It doesn't." Goro pouted, clutching tightly onto his chair as his shoulders unconsciously tensed.

"Mm-hm…" Sayaka hummed with a quiet chuckle, hiding her smile as she rubbed some soothing cream onto the injury. Goro sat silently as he watched his mother cut off a decently sized bandage and taped it to his knee. He swung his knee back and forth to make sure the bandage stayed in place. The painful sensation was still buzzing through Goro's knee with each movement. Sayaka noted the strained expression on her son's face, and the way he kept subtly glancing up at her. She giggled softly, bending down and kissing his knee better. Goro blinked in amazement. The pain was gone!

"Is it okay now, Pancake?"

Goro nodded with a bashful blush. "Mm-hm, thanks Mama."

Sayaka smiled lovingly, stroking her son's hair. "I'll make dinner, you just go and rest your knee."

"But-!"

"No buts! You go watch the telly, I'll make the curry."

"But I wanted to help!" Goro protested with a stubborn stomp, wincing as pain shot through his knee again.

"But you can't stand on a stool with a hurt knee. Go watch TV, I'll be fine."

"... Fine…" Goro pouted in annoyance as he accepted defeat and shuffled into the living room. He glanced back at his mother, noting the pained expression on her face as she massaged the back of her neck. Now that he thought about it, this was her first day off in a while… And she'd spent it grocery shopping… A worried scowl enveloped his face as he turned on the TV. His mother had been working more and more lately and if he couldn't tell any better, she was thinner than she used to be. He didn't want her to hurt herself…

"Don't go anywhere or you'll miss out! New episode of Phoenix Rangers Feathermen R up next!"

Goro's attention instantly snapped back to the TV after hearing those words. His mother chuckled softly from the kitchen.

"You really love those Feathermen, don't you?"

"Yeah! They're so cool, especially Red! The crimson fist of justice always strikes true!" Goro giggled excitedly as he waited for the commercials to end.

"Are you gonna be a hero of justice like him when you're older?" Sayaka asked as she chopped up onions, ignoring her watering eyes.

"Of course! I won't ignore anyone in trouble! And that includes you, Mama!"

"Oh…?"

"I wanna be your hero, Mama!"

Sayaka's eyes widened at those words, a weak chuckle left her mouth as she wiped her eyes. "Aw, Pancake… You already are…"

"Mama, are you okay? You're crying…" Goro observed with a worried frown.

"No, no, I'm fine. It's just the onions… That's all."

"Oh… Okay…" Murmured Goro as he turned back around to face the TV. As he turned, the calendar hanging on the nearby wall caught his attention. To be more precise, the bright red circle on it caught his attention. Inside was writing.

**'November 31st, Mama's birthday!!'**

Goro's eyes widened. Of course! It was Mama's birthday at the end of the month! He had to do something special to surprise her! But… What?

 _"Hey, guys! Did you know it's Kotoko's birthday next week?"_ The sound of the protagonist's voice from the TV pulled Goro out of his thoughts. What were the chances of that? The chestnut haired boy watched intently in the hopes that the episode would give him ideas.

"What're they doing this week?" Asked Sayaka, leaning into the living room and taking a look.

"Getting part time jobs and saving up to buy Kotoko a birthday present." Goro informed her.

"Ahh… And Kotoko is Feather… Pink?"

"No, Yellow. Pink is Mio."

"Dang it!"

"You'll get it one day, Mama!" Goro giggled. She always got the characters and colours wrong, but Goro appreciated that she made an effort.

"I hope so… Dinner will be ready in about ten minutes, okay?" Sayaka announced as she sat down next to Goro.

"Okay!" Goro agreed happily as snuggled up against his mother. Looking up at her, he couldn't help but notice the larger dark bags under her eyes. Had she been getting enough sleep? She always went to bed late and woke up early… Goro frowned anxiously at the sight. Sayaka glanced down at him.

"Hm? Is something wrong, Pancake?"

Goro flinched.

"O-Oh, nothing… Just thinking…"

Sayaka raised an eyebrow.

"Just thinking?"

"Yeah, just thinking."

"What're you thinking about?"

"Just stuff."

"Stuff?"

Goro looked away.

"Yeah, stuff."

"What kinda stuff?"

"Y'know, just, stuff."

"Oh, so you're not gonna tell me, huh?"

"I'm not hiding anything!"

"I never said you were… So, what are you hiding?"

"Nothing!"

"Are you suuuure?" Sayaka grinned as she wiggled her fingers menacingly. Goro flinched. He recognised that grin… He tried to leap away but was too late. Sayaka grabbed onto him, tickling in the spots she knew he was the most ticklish.

"N-No! Mama- hahahaha!!! Stop! Stop! Plea-!" Goro gasped out between giggles.

"Not until you tell me what you're hiding~" Sayaka snickered, grabbing onto Goro's foot and tickling it. The small boy's laughter grew louder as he desperately kicked his feet in an attempt to break free. As he squirmed, a timer sounded out from the kitchen. Sayaka released her grip on him and stood up.

"You're lucky that dinner's almost done. But I will find out your secret~" Sayaka chucked, ruffling Goro's hair as she returned to the kitchen.

"I don't have a secret!"

"Sure, you don't…"

"I don't!"

"You're not fooling me, Pancake!"

Goro pouted in determination as he tried to think of a way to surprise his mother for her birthday without the very observant woman catching on. He needed to get her a birthday present… But what would she like…? Something fancy? Something useful? Something to eat? He tapped his foot thoughtfully against the sofa as he considered different possibilities.

"Pancake! Dinner's ready! Can you set the table while I dish up, please?" His mother requested.

"Okay!" Goro replied. In the end, he supposed that he would have to figure out later when he had a full stomach.

"-art… -heart… Sweetheart… C'mon, wake up…" A soft voice called out as Goro's shoulder was nudged gently. Goro's eyes fluttered open as he was slowly roused from his sleep. The room was still mostly dark, only illuminated by the small lamp in the corner. He saw his mother, fully dressed, looking down at him. A shiver ran through his body as he felt the chill of the early November morning.

"Mama…?" He mumbled groggily as he glanced over at his bedside clock. It read 5:30AM. So early…

"Sorry for waking you so early, Pancake… I got called in to work an extra shift, so you'll have to walk to school by yourself… Are you okay with that?" Sayaka apologised quietly as Goro sat himself up. He frowned bitterly to himself. This boss of hers was always making her work extra shifts and stay late… Goro hated him. Sure, he'd never met the man, but he knew that he hated him.

"Okay…" He muttered half-heartedly. Sayaka gently ruffled his hair in an attempt to comfort him.

"You can sleep for another hour if you want, I'll set an alarm for you. I've made you some breakfast, you can just heat it up in the microwave." Sayaka offered.

"Okay…" Goro mumbled again, letting out a loud yawn as he snuggled back down under his warm, comfy duvet. Sayaka giggled quietly as she fiddled with his alarm clock.

"I have to get going now. I won't be home until about six, so I've asked Takehara-san from next door to look out for you when you come home, okay? I'll see you later, Sweetheart. Have a good day at school." Sayaka explained before planting a loving kiss on Goro's forehead and picking up her bag.

"Have a good day at work, Mama…" Goro sleepily murmured as she exited his bedroom. The sound of the front door closing was the last thing he heard before drifting back to sleep.

A sluggish yawn left Goro's mouth as he wandered down the road to school. He had woken up on time, reheated his breakfast and ate it, and got dressed before heading out to school. He was lucky that he had remembered to pack an umbrella into his backpack as the rain began to pour heavily. He sighed dejectedly as he looked up at the grey skies. Ever since he had woken up, he'd been trying desperately to think of the perfect birthday present for his mother but unfortunately, had drawn a blank.

"There has to be something…" He mumbled to himself as he walked through town. Was there anything that she had shown interest in lately?

As Goro pondered his possibilities, a strong gust of wind blew through; his umbrella turned inside out.

"Dang it!" He gasped, running underneath the nearest shelter so he could fix his umbrella. Luckily, the wind hadn't damaged it too badly. Sighing in relief, Goro lifted his head… And discovered a very familiar sight. It was the dress his mother was staring at yesterday.

That was it!

He'd surprise her with that dress!

Oh… Wait… He suddenly remembered the price as he glanced down at the price tag… ¥7000… How much did he have? He pulled out his wallet to take a look.

…

Oh.

¥400…

A troubled frown enveloped his tiny face as he closed his wallet and slipped it carefully back into his bag. Well… It was a good idea… But… It was a month until her birthday… Could he save up that much money by then?

Inspiration struck.

Goro's eyes glistened excitedly as he remembered last night's episode of Phoenix Rangers Feathermen R. They all got jobs to save up money! He could do that! Of course, it was so simple!

With a newfound resolve, Goro rushed back out from under the shelter on his way to school; his mind racing with ideas as he raced through the streets.

Fogged up breath left Goro's mouth as he approached his apartment building. School had really dragged on today… The lessons were boring, the teachers just rambled on and on, someone sat behind Goro had a cold so all he could hear was them constantly sniffing and coughing… Everything just kept building up and irritating Goro. Words couldn't even begin to describe the relief he felt when the final bell rang for the day.

He had spent the entire day trying to think of ways to make money for the dress, but so far had only drawn up blanks.

"Good afternoon, Goro-kun, good day at school?" A neighbour from the floor below asked as they walked towards Goro. The chestnut haired boy flinched away, narrowly dodging the large bags of laundry the woman was carrying. "Oh! Sorry! Did I nearly knock you over?"

Smiling politely, Goro gently shook his head. "No, it's fine. Good afternoon, Nakamura-san."

The woman glanced around the hallway before noticing the house key that was carefully being clutched in Goro's hand.

"Is your mother working late again?" She asked knowingly.

"Yeah. But she said that she asked Takehara-san to watch over me; I'm fine." Goro replied bluntly, soothing the anxiety he knew the woman had. Nakamura nodded understandingly.

"Alright, Goro-kun. If you need anything, let me know, okay?" She offered, gently patting Goro's head before continuing on her way to the launderette. Goro watched with a tired yawn until Nakamura reached the end of the hallway and disappeared around the corner before walking up the stairs to his floor.

He would have used the elevator but it was broken again… Someone was always breaking the elevator… Or vandalising it… Or puking in it… The elevator just sucked basically. But still, Goro would be lying if he said that he didn't find walking up all those stairs annoying. And gross. The walls always had some kind of stain on them and there was always empty cans or half eaten takeout on the floor… Turning the corner of the stairwell, Goro's face scrunched up in disgust. An acrid smell flooded through his nostrils. The janitor had obviously made one of his rounds; the smell of cigarettes was heavy in the air. Goro hated it. The smell made him dizzy. Taking in a big gulp of air, Goro held his breath as he walked up the remaining few stairs, only releasing it after he reached the corridor.

Coughing quietly with a disgruntled expression, Goro held up his house key and walked up to his front door. As the lock clicked open, the door to the left of him opened as well. He couldn't help but flinch in surprise. The small boy glanced over to find his elderly neighbour peeking her head around the doorframe. Her silver hair pulled neatly back into a bun, her soft clothes crumpled and creased, and a strained look in her eyes as she clutched onto her hip.

"Ah, you're back. Hello, Goro-kun." She remarked, her wrinkles pushed up by the soft smile on her face.

"Hello, Takehara-san." Goro replied, hiding his annoyance by returning the soft smile. He was too tired to have another conversation… He just wanted to collapse on his bed and read some manga. The sound of Takehara grunting in pain drew his attention back to her.

"Say, Goro-kun, could I ask a favour of you? My arthritis is really playing up today, I can barely move my hip… But there is so much dust in my carpets and it's getting ridiculous. Would you vacuum my living room and bedroom for me, please?" The old woman requested.

Great… Just what he needed after such a crappy day… He didn't have time to help old women clean their houses, he had to figure out how to save enough money to buy tha-

Wait a minute.

Of course…

It was such an obvious solution.

A conniving smirk spread across Goro's face as he made eye contact.

"It depends… Will I get something out of it?"

"... Excuse me?"

Shock and confusion was all over Takehara's face. Goro's smirk grew.

"I have something that I need to save up for. So, I'll be happy to help… For a price." He explained. Takehara's eyes widened in disbelief. Silence fell over the two while the old woman took time to process the words that she had just heard leave this child's mouth.

Goro crossed his arms and tapped his foot against the frayed carpet, feigning confidence as he waited for a response.

A quiet laugh entered his ears.

He looked up to see Takehara shaking her head and chuckling to herself before returning Goro's smirk.

"You're a crafty little shit, you know that?"

A nervous sweat dripped down Goro's chin at that sentence. Perhaps he had bitten off more than he could chew… Takehara spoke again.

"I like your style. Alright, listen: I don't really have anyone who comes to visit me anymore… My son and grandkids stopped visiting years ago… So, you keep me company and help me around the house okay? For every chore you help with, I'll give you ¥300. Do we have a deal?" She snickered, extending her hand towards Goro.

The small boy stared up at her with wide eyes. Wait, she actually agreed? A triumphant grin swept across Goro's face as the surprise faded. He gripped onto Takehara's hand and shook it firmly.

"We have a deal."

A quiet click reached Goro's ears.

"I'm home, Goro…" He heard his mother mumble from the entrance.

"Welcome home, Mama." Goro cheerfully replied, feeling very proud of himself now that he had another ¥600 in his wallet.

Sayaka stumbled into the living room with an exhausted huff. Goro's smile fell at the sight.

"G-Good work today…" He mumbled half-heartedly, lowering his gaze. Seeing his mother so drained hurt…

"Thanks, Pancake… Did you have a good day at school today?" Sayaka sat down next to Goro at the dining table and took the opportunity to finally massage her aching feet.

"Yeah, it was great." Goro lied. He didn't want to cause anymore stress for her… It was at this point that he noticed the bag Sayaka had placed onto the table. The bag was a plain white but the smell coming from inside was delicious. It made Goro's mouth water and stomach growl. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't really eaten much today… He had the breakfast that his mother prepared for him that morning. He had one sandwich and a carton of orange juice at lunch since he was trying to spend as little money as possible. And he'd been given some cookies from Takehara to snack on while he vacuumed her apartment.

Sayaka glanced over and noticed Goro staring at the bag with a curious expression. A soft chuckle left her mouth. "Sorry, Pancake. I'm too tired to cook today, so I just stopped in Big Bang Burger on my way home. I hope you're okay with just some fries and a burger for dinner."

Goro grinned excitedly. He didn't mind fast food occasionally, especially if it meant his mother could take a break.

"That's okay!" He assured her as she pulled the food out of the bag and onto the table.

"I've got two drinks; which do you want? Orange soda or chocolate milkshake?"

"Soda, please!"

"Alright, here you go, sweetheart." Sayaka said as she placed the drink in front of Goro. She noticed the textbooks that Goro shoved to the side to make room for the food.

"Which subject are you working on?" She asked.

"Literature. We were all given a book to read and have to answer questions about the main characters." Goro answered, sneakily munching on a few fries while Sayaka's back was turned.

"Oh yeah? Which book were you given?"

"Robin Hood."

"Oh, I loved that story when I was little!" Sayaka cheered with an excited beam. Her fatigue seemed to fade for a few seconds.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Every time a new movie was made for it, I always begged my parents to take me to see it in the cinema!"

Goro couldn't help but smile. It had been a long time since he last saw his mother so excited about something. She really did have a wonderful smile… He wanted to make her smile like that everyday.

"Have you ever read the book school gave me?" He asked, hoping to continue the conversation… and maybe get a little bit of help with homework.

"Oh yeah! It was my favourite book when I was your age! What do you think of it, Pancake?" She asked, expectantly waiting to her for her son's thoughts on the story. Goro smiled back.

"I really like it! Robin Hood is so cool! He's such an amazing hero of justice!"

"He is! Do you know what characters like him are called?"

"No?"

"They're called a Gentleman Thief. They're basically someone who steals and commits crimes, however they always have other people in mind and stick to their morals. You can put that in your homework, surprise your teacher with how smart you are."

Goro giggled, making a quick note in his textbook. "Thanks, Mama!"

"Anything to help my lovely little boy." Sayaka giggled back with a loving stroke of Goro's hair. She leaned over the table to take a look at Goro's current progress. "What have you got so far?"

"Um… I said that I really like Robin Hood because he's a lot different than most heroes of justice I've seen." Goro kicked his feet against the legs of his chair as he bashfully looked down at his lap.

"Oh? And how is he different?"

"In all the other stuff I've seen, everyone loves the heroes and supports them but Robin Hood is seen as a criminal by the sheriff and the royal family, even though he's doing the right thing and saving the people in poverty. I think it makes him more realistic." A thoughtful frown enveloped Goro's face as he tried to put his thoughts into words. Sayaka's eyes widened in surprise. There were times she was really stunned by her son's maturity…

"How exactly do you think he's realistic?"

"Well, I mean… In real life, the people in power are the bad guys, right? And whenever someone says that and tries to stop them, they get put in prison. So, in real life, the heroes of justice are a lot like Robin Hood." Was Goro's blunt explanation.

Sayaka stared at him in stunned silence.

How did he…?

A stressed grimace consumed her expression as she thought back to Goro's father, exactly the type of villain Goro was talking about… After a few seconds, she forced a smile onto her face and spoke again.

"I see… That's a very good point, sweetheart, but… I-I wouldn't put that in your answer, okay?"

Goro tilted his head in confusion.

"Why not? If it's good, shouldn't I use it?"

"W-Well yeah, it's just… I don't think the teachers would like that way of thinking, okay? It's best to play it safe…"

Goro didn't understand. Why should it matter if they didn't like it? They asked for his thoughts on the character and that's what he thought. One thing he did know, though, was that he hated the sad, tired expression on his mother's face. He looked down at his lap, ashamed that he had somehow upset his mother.

"Okay, Mama…"

A suffocating silence fell over the room.

Clearing her throat, Sayaka broke the silence. "A-Anyway, let's eat up before it gets cold, yeah? And when we're done I can show you my favourite Robin Hood movie! Does that sound good?"

Goro looked up at his mother and smiled again.

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Thank you so much for doing my shopping for me, Goro-kun. I know it was quite a cheeky request…" Takehara muttered bashfully as she sat in her usual chair, watching Goro unload all of the groceries he had bought into her fridge and cupboards.

"It's fine. You made it easy by giving me the money and a list of everything you needed. Besides, I was the one who said I'd only help if you paid me; I have no right to judge someone for being cheeky. Although… Why couldn't you do it yourself?" Replied Goro, passing a packet of cookies over to Takehara.

The old woman sighed. "It's getting harder and harder for me to walk every day, I need to use my mobility scooter if I go outside but some bastard broke the elevator again so I couldn't do anything…"

Goro noticed the frustration in Takehara's eyes as she explained her situation. He felt a little bad for making her pay him now… It wasn't her fault that she couldn't do these simple tasks, after all…

"I-"

"If you're about to offer to give back my money, you can forget it." Takehara instantly interrupted. Goro flinched, rather freaked out that she knew exactly what he was thinking.

"Wh-Why?"

"You're saving up to buy your mum a birthday present, aren't you?"

Goro nearly dropped the box of teabags he was holding. "How… How'd you know?"

"Goro-kun, don't forget that your mother has lived in this building since before you were born. I've known her longer than you've been alive. I know the 31st is her birthday." The old woman chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.

Goro blinked in surprise. He'd never really thought of it like that. Of course, she'd know things like that, she'd been their neighbour for as long as he could remember. After Goro had been silent for a while, Takehara continued.

"You've got something in mind, haven't you? Must be quite expensive if you're taking on jobs to save up."

Goro nodded silently while Takehara opened up the packet of cookies and handed some to him.

"How much does this present cost?" She asked, watching the small child nibble delicately on a cookie.

"¥7000…" Goro mumbled through a mouth full of crumbs. Takehara's eyes widened at that number.

"Oh yeah… That's definitely not something you could afford with just your pocket money…"

"Mm-hm… But, Mama looked so happy when she was looking at it in the shop… I want her to be able to wear it and look even happier." Said Goro as if it were the most obvious thing on earth. Takehara couldn't stop the smile that crept onto her face after hearing that heartfelt remark. Leaning forward, she softly ruffled Goro's chestnut brown hair.

"You're a really good kid, you know that, Goro-kun?"

Goro didn't say anything; he simply blushed a light pink at the sudden compliment.

"Well, anyway, you've finished putting everything away so here's your payment for the day." Takehara announced, pulling some money out of her purse and handing it to Goro.

"Thank you, Takehara-san." He said. He counted it all up as ¥900. Frowning, he looked back up at the old woman. "Um, you gave me too much…"

"No, I didn't."

"But, there's-"

"I said I'd give you ¥300 for every chore you helped me with, didn't I? You walked down the supermarket, bought all of my groceries and then put them away for me. That's three chores. So, I gave you the right amount." Takehara explained her reasoning with a smirk.

Goro stared at her with a stunned expression. He could help but feel like she was making excuses to give him some extra money… But, he'd be lying if he said that he didn't appreciate her kindness. He smiled shyly. "Thank you, Takehara-san."

"But still, I can't help but feel like I'm not paying you enough for all of your help…" The elderly woman pondered, a troubled frown on her wrinkled face.

"Oh, no, really Takehara-san, it's fine. I don't wanna take any more than I deserve." Goro hurriedly refused.

That was the exact response Takehara was expecting… But she really did feel as though Goro deserved more. It had been so long since someone had kept her company and helped her around the house. It really meant a lot to her. She could still remember when her grandchildren were Goro's age and would visit her every other weekend… But nowadays… None of her family even seemed to remember that she existed…

Those memories of her time with her grandchildren gave her an idea.

"Alright then, but… Would you like to give your mum another surprise for her birthday?" She asked. Goro looked up at her with an intrigued sparkle in his eyes. "If you'd like, I could teach you how to make pancakes? It's yours and your mother's favourite, right? After all, I always hear her calling you 'Pancake'."

Goro blushed after learning that other people knew about his mother's pet name for him. He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't interested, but… He'd never baked anything before… The most he'd ever done was help his mother cut up vegetables, stir things and measure out ingredients. He'd probably mess it up…

"I-I dunno…" He stuttered nervously. Takehara raised an eyebrow. If there was one thing she didn't like, it was people passing up opportunities just because they were scared of failing. A cheeky grin plastered itself onto her face.

"Oh? What, are you scared of baking? Or are you saying that you can't do it? It's too hard for you?"

Those words flipped a switch inside Goro.

His competitive streak had been activated.

"Hah?! It doesn't matter what you tell me to make, I'll be able to make it ten times better than you! Don't treat me like a stupid little kid, you old hag!" The moment those words had left his mouth, he realised what he had said. Slapping his hands over his mouth, he glanced over at Takehara and anxiously awaited her response.

The old woman just laughed uproariously at the scared look in Goro's eyes after his outburst.

"So you do want me to teach you, then?" She asked with a knowing smirk. Goro blinked in surprise. She wasn't angry at him after he insulted her?

"W-Well, I mean, that is… I-If that's okay with you…" He mumbled shyly.

"Well then, I'll give you lessons some other time. You try and find out your mum's favourite flavours and toppings and I'll get the ingredients. Okay?"

It was this moment that Goro realised the old woman had riled him up on purpose. He sighed in exasperation as he returned her smile.

"Okay, thank you, Takehara-san."

"Goro? Goro, where are you?" A worried voice from outside pulled the two out of their conversation.

"Sounds like your mum's home. You better head back now so she knows you're okay." Takehara instructed the small boy.

"Right!" Goro agreed as he shoved everything back into his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "I'll see you later, Takehara-san!"

Takehara couldn't help but smile as she watched the small boy hurriedly jog out of her apartment.

"See you later, Goro-kun."

A bored huff left Goro's mouth as he marked another day off the calendar. It was now November 16th. Just half a month left until his mother's birthday.

The chestnut haired boy glanced around the quiet apartment. Yet again, his mother was called in to work an extra shift. This one in particular really infuriated Goro, after all, Sundays were supposed to be her day off! Why was she always the one who had to work overtime?! Why couldn't the boss do it himself?!

He scowled bitterly as he padded into the kitchen, looking for something to do. He'd already eaten breakfast and washed the dishes. He'd just finished hanging up the laundry, so all he could do now was wait for it to dry. The counters and the floor were spotless. The carpets weren't in need of being vacuumed.

Goro huffed again as a shiver ran down his spine. The heating was messing around again… The entire building was always having to call for someone to come and repair their heating systems… Goro couldn't help but wonder why the whole thing hadn't been replaced yet. He knew there was a space heater tucked away in one of the cupboards, but he had been told not to touch it. Sayaka always worried that he might burn himself if he tried to set it up himself, so she forbade him from pulling it out.

In the end, he decided that he would just wear another layer. Wandering into his room, he began to rummage through his wardrobe before finally picking out his favourite sweater and a thicker pair of socks. The small boy sighed in relief as the sweater gave him that bit of extra warmth. He really loved this sweater. It was a Christmas present from his mother last year. It was thick wool and a lovely warm shade of red with two crows embroidered on the chest.

Goro made his way back into the living room with an irritated scowl. There had to be something he could do, right? He could ask Takehara if she needed any help with anything… But then again, she'd probably just tell him to relax for the day because it's Sunday… He'd managed to save up 3500¥ but at the same time, he'd only saved up 3500¥… He was only halfway there… If he wanted to save up enough, he needed to quickly make more money!

Staring at the TV, he racked his brain for any possible ideas. Nothing. As he tapped his foot in agitation, a horrible smell wafted past his nose. His face scrunched up as he turned to find the source. Sniffing the air, he followed the smell to discover it was coming from the kitchen bin. It was full to the brim. How did he not notice that earlier?

"Well, it's something to do, I guess…" He muttered quietly to himself, pulling out a new bin bag from the nearby cupboard. He didn't enjoy emptying the bin, but it had to be done. After a few minutes, he finally managed to wrestle the full bag out of the bin. The sheer weight of it shocked him. How long had all of this rubbish been building up? After taking a minute to catch his breath, Goro slipped the new empty bag into the bin. Well, that was the first part done, now he just had to carry the full bag down to the dumpsters downstairs.

Goro groaned quietly to himself as he dragged the bag over to the front door and slipped a pair of shoes on. He opened the door and bent down, gripping tightly onto the handles of the bag.

"One… Two… Three!" On three, he yanked as hard as he could, using all of his strength to lift the bag off the ground. His arms trembled from the strain as he clumsily shuffled through the doorframe and began his walk down the corridor. Goro gritted his teeth as he struggled to keep the bag off the ground; he didn't want to drag it along the ground from the fear of the bag ripping and spilling the contents all over the hallway. A sense of relief washed over Goro after he reached the elevator door. However, that relief would be short-lived as he noticed a sign on the door that read 'Out Of Order'.

"Y-You've gotta be kidding me…" He whined in a defeated tone, realising that he would have to carry the huge bag down three flights of stairs. Placing the bag down at his feet for a little while, Goro massaged his stinging hands and caught his breath in preparation for the incoming ordeal. He really, really hated that useless elevator… Always breaking down whenever they needed it most… He glanced over at the stairs with dread. It was hard enough carrying the bag on a flat surface, but carrying it down stairs where he could very easily trip and fall? He didn't want to do that at all. Taking a deep breath to psyche himself up, he wrapped his hands around the bag again.

"I just need to carry it downstairs… That's all I need to do…" He muttered as he heaved the bag up and began on his way. He stuck close to the wall, just so in the case that he did fall, he'd at least be able to lean on the wall for some support. He travelled slowly and carefully, taking it one step at a time. Each time he reached the bottom of a flight of stairs he'd have to drop the bag and catch his breath before starting the whole procedure over again. It was an agonizingly slow process but at least he was avoiding any injuries.

After struggling for a good five minutes, Goro finally reached the bottom floor, dragging his feet as he carried the trash outside to the dumpsters. Luckily one of them already had its lid open. Goro stumbled over to it and then realised he had yet another dilemma: To put the bag in there, he would have to lift it over his head when he found it difficult enough to hold it just mere centimetres off the ground.

He groaned dejectedly.

He shook his arms to get some feeling back into them.

He bent down, slipping his arms underneath the bag.

"One… Two… Three…!" He grunted painfully as he put all of his strength into lifting the bag. He had managed to hold it against his chest but lifting it any higher was proving difficult. He staggered closer to the dumpster as he tried his first attempt to lift the trash into it.

The weight pushed Goro backwards.

First attempt failed.

He tried again.

The bag nearly slipped out of his grasp.

Second attempt failed.

Third time's the charm, right?

He tried again.

His arms trembled under the pressure. He could feel every muscle clenching.

"Come… on…! Get… up… there…!" He growled through gritted teeth.

"You need a hand there, Goro-kun?" A voice softly asked as the weight was suddenly lifted from Goro's hands. The small boy looked up to see a raven haired man taking the bag from him and throwing it into the dumpster for him. The man looked down at him and smiled. "There we go. You okay, little guy?"

Goro recognised him as one of the people who lived in the apartment building across the road. "Yeah, thank you for the help, Michimiya-san."

"You look exhausted…" The man analysed with a worried frown.

"The elevator was broken again, so I had to carry that bag down the stairs." Goro explained, stretching his aching arms. Michimiya's eyes widened.

"You carried a bag that was almost as big as you down three flights of stairs?! Wow… I'd say that's your exercise for the day."

Goro giggled quietly at the joke. Wow, he needed a drink now…

"Again, thanks for helping me, I should head back in-"

"Hey, Goro-kun. I heard from Nakamura-san that you're doing odd jobs to earn some money?" Michimiya called out, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

Goro blinked in surprise. How did Nakamura find out? He'd only helped out Takehara… Then again, she lived on the floor below them, she probably noticed him wandering around.

"Uh, yeah, I am. Why do you ask?" He replied, masking his nervousness behind a poker face.

"Would you be willing to help me with something? I'd be happy to pay you, of course!" Michimiya requested, seeming a little embarrassed to be asking a favour from a child.

"It depends what it is." Was Goro's blunt response.

"Oh, it's nothing bad! And you don't have to if you don't want to! It's just my wife and I have become a little busier at our shop lately so we don't have enough time to give our dogs their recommended number of walks anymore… Would you be willing to give them walks twice a week?" The adult explained his situation. Goro's brows lifted. That wasn't so bad. He liked dogs.

"Sure. What days?"

"Oh! Right, uh, Wednesdays and Sundays. They just need to be given a quick walk in the afternoon and my wife and I can take them on their longer walks in the evening. I'll give you ¥500 for each walk you take them on."

That sounded like a good deal to Goro. An easy ¥1000 each week just for walking some dogs.

"Alright, sounds good to me. Do you want me to walk them today?"

"Oh, no, no! Today's fine. But if you could pop over after school on Wednesday and walk them for about half an hour, that would be a huge help!" Michimiya suggested, not wanting to make the small boy work too hard. "Besides, after fighting against that trash bag, you could probably use a break. And don't you have any homework you have to work on?"

Goro's eyes shot wide open.

He suddenly remembered something important.

"My math homework!" He screeched, turning tail and speeding back into the building. Michimiya couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sheer fear in Goro's eyes.

"Good luck, Goro-kun!"

"Wah! C-Coco-chan! Slow down!" Goro wailed in a panic as he desperately struggled to pull the rambunctious dog back over to him.

The chestnut haired boy was a little surprised when he discovered there were three dogs he had to walk. But he still agreed to walk them around the local park, after all he needed the money… and it was only for half an hour.

The largest dog, a sheepdog named Kuma, was the one Goro was most worried about. However, it turned out that he was the easiest one to manage. He was a gentle old man who preferred to take his time. And thanks to his years of training, he listened to every word Goro said to him.

The smallest dog, a Pomeranian named Mochi, was a little challenging at times but behaved herself once she was scolded. If anything, she seemed to get a little embarrassed when she was told off. Goro could see that she wasn't a bad dog; she just tended to get a little too excited sometimes.

And then the last dog… The brown poodle called Coco… To put it nicely, she was a troublemaker. She was constantly running off, dragging the tiny boy along with her, chasing any small critters she spotted, annoying the other two dogs as they walked along and, if Goro couldn't tell any better, she always seemed to look quite proud of herself whenever she was scolded… He'd be lying if he said that he hadn't developed a slight dislike towards Coco… Especially after she nearly knocked him over while he was busy cleaning up after Mochi.

"I! Said! Stop!" He grunted as he yanked on her leash. Coco huffed as she finally stopped in her tracks, looking back at Goro with an almost mocking expression. Goro scowled back at her. A low, booming woof sounded out from beside him as Kuma gave him an encouraging headbutt, almost as if he was saying 'Hang in there!'. Goro smiled as he gently petted Kuma's fluffy fur.

"Thanks, Kuma-chan. I'm glad you're a good boy." He giggled. An indignant yap came from behind him. Mochi stood there, looking up at him with an expectant look in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Mochi-chan! You're a good girl too!" Goro reassured her, bending down to pet her as well. Mochi barked happily as she licked Goro's cheek. The small boy laughed at the ticklish sensation. "Okay, okay! I get it! Calm down, Mochi-chan!"

Mochi got the message and clambered back off of Goro, smiling up at him all the while. It was funny… Despite the temperature being freezing enough that Goro had to bundle up, wearing his coat, scarf and hat, he was sweating buckets. He pinned the blame of that onto Coco. She's the one who had dragged him around and forced him to run halfway round the park. Coco ignored the petty glare from Goro as she casually scratched the back of her neck. He really wanted her to calm down even a little bit before they turned around and walked home. He looked through the bag that Michimiya gave him for any ideas. He grinned as it hit him.

"Hey, Coco-chan~!" He called out with a cheeky smirk. The dog sat up straight and looked over with an intrigued face. Her eyes sparkled when she saw what was in Goro's hand. A frisbee. Michimiya had told him that it was the dogs' favourite toy. Goro could believe it; the toy was absolutely covered in scratch and bite marks. It had clearly seen its fair share of play sessions.

Goro leant forward, twisting his arm and holding the frisbee close to his chest, preparing to send it flying. "Ready?"

Coco crouched down into a playful position as her tail wagged excitedly. She barked loudly to let Goro know she was prepared.

Goro flung the frisbee as far as he could, giggling cheerfully as he watched Coco bolt after it at top speed. Her ears flapped happily with each step she took before she launched herself off the ground and caught it midair.

"Good girl! Bring it back here!" He praised the chocolate brown dog, clapping his hands to bring her attention back to him. Coco galloped back over to him and gave back the frisbee, eager to chase after it again.

"Thank you for actually listening to me." Goro chuckled before throwing the frisbee again. Coco sped after it as fast as her legs could carry her. The two other dogs watched as she rushed back and forth after the frisbee; Kuma lying down onto the grass with a tired huff and Mochi wagging her tail excitedly as she watched the frisbee with anticipation. After a few minutes, she couldn't hold herself back anymore and sprang forward, catching the frisbee before Coco could. Coco looked thoroughly unimpressed as Mochi ran over to Goro.

The chestnut haired boy couldn't help laugh as Coco slowly meandered back over to him with a sulky expression. He gently patted Mochi's head after she placed the frisbee into his hand. "So, you're playing too now?"

Mochi barked in affirmation. Her tail wagged from side to side as she waited for Goro to launch the pink disc again. Goro waited until Coco had sat down next to Mochi, just to make sure that neither of them had a head start.

"Ready?"

Both dogs prepared themselves.

"Go!"

Goro faked his throw, hiding the frisbee behind his back. Both dogs sped off before slowing down and glancing around their surroundings, baffled by the disappearance of their toy. Goro couldn't hold back his laughter after seeing the sheer confusion on the dogs' faces as they scanned the area. The sound of his laughter brought their attention back to Goro, and the fact that frisbee was in his hand! The two were stunned! How did it get back there already?! They rushed back.

"O-Okay… Okay… I-I'll seriously throw it this time." Goro choked out between giggles. Kuma watched the three play, lazily flopping his head onto the ground. Just watching the two younger dogs running around made him feel tired.

"Good girl, Coco-chan! Bring it back here!" Goro cheered after Coco caught the frisbee again. It was at this point that he noticed Mochi in the opposite direction, nosing around in the grass.

"Mochi-chan?" He called out to her. The Pomeranian lifted her head, her tail wagging excitedly as something dark hung out of her mouth. Goro suddenly felt nervous. "Mochi-chan, what do you have in your mouth?"

The dog crouched down and began wagging her tail even faster.

"No, Mochi-chan, this isn't a game. Show me what you have."

Mochi let out a muffled bark and bounced around playfully as Goro approached her, closely followed by the other two dogs.

"Mochi-chan. Drop it." Goro ordered, mustering up his most stern expression. The Pomeranian took the hint and dropped the item into Goro's hand.

It was a wallet.

Panic shot through Goro. She didn't snatch this from someone, did she?! Wait… No, no, of course she didn't… She was sniffing around the grass when she found it. Someone must have dropped it. The small boy analysed it. It was a simple black leather wallet. Nothing amazing. Very simple. He couldn't see anything that gave him any hints towards the owner's identity.

In the end, despite feeling uncomfortable about rooting through a stranger's belongings, Goro opened up the wallet and analysed the contents.

There was a lot of money.

Goro stared at the banknotes in stunned silence.

If he had those, he could afford to buy that dress today and have enough left over to buy groceries for a month…

Wait, no! What was he thinking?!

The small boy shook his head furiously to push those thoughts out of his mind. He was ashamed of himself for even considering that. He noticed a few cards in another section of the wallet and pulled one out. It was a driver's license.

"Fuyuhiko Tsukishima…" Goro read the name aloud. Didn't sound familiar to him at all… He inspected every little bit of the card and all the other cards but couldn't find any contact information. How would he be able to return it if he couldn't contact the guy…?

Wait…

Goro remembered passing a park keepers building on his walk over to the field he was in now. Surely there'd be a lost and found counter there! Perfect! He could drop it off as he walked the dogs home.

"Coco-chan! Mochi-chan! Kuma-chan! C'mere! Time to go home!" He called, pulling the leashes back out of his pocket, ready to clip them back onto their collars. All three dogs complied, even Coco who was now too tired to cause any trouble.

The walk back was calm and uneventful. All three dogs behaved themselves, matching Goro's pace and only stopping to go pee. After five minutes, Goro found the building he had been looking out for. He wandered around to the other side and found the area he needed.

"Excuse me!" He called out as he jogged over, the trio of dogs obediently following him. The man behind the counter and the man talking to him both stopped and looked at him as he approached.

"Yes? How can I help you, young man? Have you lost something?" The man behind the counter politely enquired. Goro shook his head.

"No, actually I found something. I was walking my neighbour's dogs when one of them found this in the field." He explained as he placed the wallet onto the counter. The park keeper picked it up and inspected the leather item.

"I see. Thank you for bringing it in. We'll try and track down the owner."

"Um, if it helps… I looked inside to find any contact info and there wasn't any; but I found out that the owner's name is Fuyuhiko Tsukishima." Goro informed him, hoping to help as much as possible.

The other man's eyes widened.

"Wait, that's mine! I'm Fuyuhiko Tsukishima!" He exclaimed as he snatched the wallet from the park keeper. "Oh, thank you so much, young man! I was panicking so much when I couldn't find it! You're a lifesaver!"

Goro was caught off guard by the man's outburst as he gleefully grabbed hold of the small boy's shoulders.

"I-It's nothing, really… If anything, Mochi-chan is the one you should thank. She's the one that found it." Goro replied with an awkward smile, pointing down at the Pomeranian in question. Mochi let out a prideful bark.

"Is that so? Well, thank you very much, Mochi-san!" Tsukishima chuckled, bending down and rewarding Mochi with a thankful pat on her head. Mochi wagged her tail happily. Tsukishima stood back up and checked the contents of his wallet. A relieved sigh left his mouth.

"Everything's still here… Seriously, thank you so much for handing this, young man. Most people probably would have just taken this and ran." The smile on his face made Goro even more guilty for thinking about it.

"I was only doing what was right." He answered quickly, glad that he had made the right decision. Tsukishima chuckled lightly.

"Good to hear! Your parents sure are lucky to have an upstanding boy like you as their son! As a way of thanks, I want to have this." The man pulled out a ¥200 bill and handed it to Goro.

The chestnut haired boy stared at him. "A-Are you sure? I-I only found it"

Tsukishima forced the bill into Goro's hand. "I am absolutely sure. A lot of important things of mine are in this wallet; you really saved my bacon by returning it."

"O-Okay… If you're positive…"

The park keeper smiled at the bashful boy before glancing up out of the window. "I'd hurry home now, if I were you, young man. It's starting to get dark."

Goro turned around to discover that the sun was setting.

"You're right! U-Um, I'm glad I could help out and thank you for the money! Bye!" He hurriedly excused himself before herding the dogs back out of the building and on the path home. The two men chuckled and they kept watch over him while he was in sight.

"Take care now!"

An irritated scowl was plastered on Goro's face as he walked down the street to his apartment complex, staring down as the slip of paper in his hand. 'Be sure to give it to your mother', yeah right… Like he was gonna do that and cause more stress for her.

Okay, yeah, he may or may not have knocked a kid's tooth out when he punched him in the face, but so what? It was the moron's own fault. He's the one who kept insulting Goro's mother. Goro knew what his mother used to do for a living, he wasn't stupid. But he knew she did it so they could afford to eat and have a roof over their heads. And besides, she quit that job as soon as she found a better paying, safer job. But nooooo, the boy just had to keep going on and on and on, spewing insult after insult… He had it coming. If the teacher hadn't butted in, Goro would have done a lot worse to him.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he stepped through the front entrance of the building, crumpling up the note from his teacher.

"Stupid asshole…" He growled quietly as he flung the paper into the nearby waste bin.

"Does your mother know you say things like that?" A voice asked from behind him.

Goro flinched.

He turned around to find Nakamura stood there, her eyebrows raised and an amused smirk on her face.

The small boy awkwardly stared back at her.

"... Please don't tell her." He pleaded.

The woman shifted the two bags of laundry in her hands uncomfortably as her smirk grew bigger.

"And is that another note that you're supposed to give to your mother?"

Goro looked away.

"... No?"

"Goro-kun…"

"It's no big deal, okay? Mama doesn't need to know!"

The adult woman noticed the irritated look on Goro's face. Knowing him, he probably had his reasons for whatever got him into trouble. She decided to drop it.

"Say, Goro-kun, would you be willing to help me with something?" She asked. Goro looked up at her curiously.

"I mean… Yeah, if you pay me." He bluntly replied, still in his abrasive mood.

"Of course, I'll pay you! I just wanted to ask you to help me with my laundry." Nakamura giggled. Goro glanced down at the two huge bags with a nervous grimace. He remembered his struggle with that ridiculously heavy bin bag. "Don't worry, I'll carry it upstairs, I'd just like some help sorting and folding all of it."

"Ohh… Yeah, I can do that. Although, why don't you ask your family to help you?" He asked, he remembered that Nakamura lived with her husband and two children, a boy and a girl, both in their teens. It was the raven haired woman's turn to look irritated.

"My husband's always working, Miu is always out with her friends or texting them and Koutarou's always locking himself in his room and sulking…" She vented quietly. She was getting quite sick of having to do everything herself… Goro scowled at that news. He couldn't imagine never helping his mum with anything. Then again, he never really liked Koutarou and Miu… They were always so rude and treated him like an idiot just because he was younger than them… And he didn't see Mr. Nakamura very often but when he did, he always smelled of booze… It made Goro want to avoid him.

"Well, I'd be happy to help, Nakamura-san." Goro answered, hoping to make her day at least a little easier. Nakamura flashed a relieved beam at him.

"Thank you so much, Goro-kun! Now, my house keys are in my right pocket, if you could grab them and run ahead to open my front door for me, that would be great."

"Sure thing." Goro dug through her jacket pocket and pulled out the keys in question before jogging up the stairs to the floor Nakamura lived on. He waited in front of Nakamura's apartment until he saw the woman in question trudging up the stairs, her shoulders drooping as the heavy bags weighed down on them.

"Which key is your front door key?" He asked, holding up the keyring.

"The one with the pink grip on it." Nakamura answered as she walked up the hallway. Goro picked out the key in question and opened the door. He stood to the side and held it open, gesturing for Nakamura to enter first.

"Thank you very much, Goro-kun. Just leave your shoes in front of the shoe rack and come into the kitchen." She instructed him, kicking off her shoes and shoving them off to the side.

"Okay. Um… Is anyone else here?" He cautiously asked, not wanting to deal with the rest of the Nakamuras.

Nakamura flashed him an understanding smile. "No, you're fine. My husband's working late, Miu's staying the night at a friend's and Koutarou's retaking an exam. They won't be back until late in the evening."

"Oh, okay then." Goro suddenly felt a lot more relaxed as he joined Nakamura at the dining table. The woman dropped the bags onto the floor with a relieved sigh.

"Now then… I could use a drink after that. Would you like a drink, Goro-kun?" She asked, returning the detergent and fabric conditioner back into the cupboard where they belonged.

"Yes, please."

"Alright then, do you want to try this new herbal tea with me? It's a new flavour they just released! It supposedly helps you to relax and sleep better!" She suggested, holding up a box of teabags.

"Okay, sounds good." Goro agreed. He found it really interesting how drinks could have different effects on people. Nakamura giggled excitedly as she filled the kettle with fresh water and clicked it on to boil. She pulled two mugs out the cupboard and placed them in front of the kettle, dropping a tea bag into each of them.

"Right. While we wait for the kettle to boil, here's how we're gonna sort out the clothes: We'll pull one piece of clothing each out of the bag at a time, fold them and then sort them into piles on the chairs. This chair will be for my clothes, that chair's for my husband's, that chair Koutarou and the chair closest to you for Miu's clothes. Sound like a plan?" She strategized, pointing to each chair as she spoke. Goro nodded simply in agreement.

"Sounds like a plan."

A loud click pulled Nakamura's attention back to the kettle. She quickly checked the instructions on the box.

"Okay… Doesn't need any milk or sugar; you just stir and leave the teabag in the mug… Easy enough!" She mumbled to herself before picking up the kettle and pouring the water into both mugs. After gently stirring both of them and letting them cool for a little while, she handed one to Goro.

"Let's see how it tastes, shall we?" She grinned excitedly.

With great anticipation, the two of them blew on their drinks and took a large sip. Goro's eyes widened as the strong flavour crashed into his taste buds. It was sweet but it was sour too. Not to mention, a little tart as well. It had a bit of a zing to it, but it was somehow really relaxing? The taste was extremely fruity, but no matter how hard he tried, Goro couldn't pick out any fruits in particular. It was a rather bizarre taste… And yet… He liked it.

"Mmm~" He hummed contentedly as he took another sip.

"Oh, that's nice!" Nakamura cheered.

"It is! What's in it?" Goro asked, curious about the contents. No matter how much he drank, he still couldn't identify any of the fruits and it was starting to drive him crazy.

"I dunno… The flavour's just called Autumnal Fruit Harvest… It's a seasonal special. It's delicious, though! I'm glad I bought two boxes!" Nakamura answered. Goro looked at her in confusion.

"Why did you buy two boxes of it if you've never had it before? You didn't even know if you'd like it or not…"

"It was on offer."

"Ahh."

"Well then! Shall we get started?" Nakamura suggested, placing a bag each in front of herself and Goro.

"Um… How will I be able to tell who's clothes are whose?" Goro raised a concern. He'd never really seen many of their casual clothes, after all…

"Oh, trust me, you'll know when you see them." Nakamura grinned as she pulled out one of her husband's shirts and folded it. Goro decided to just take her word for it and pulled a piece of clothing out at random.

It was a frilly skirt. Each layer sticking out more than the last. Bright neon colours, pink, blue, yellow, green… It burned Goro's eyes just looking at it.

...He put it in Miu's pile.

"Right answer!" Nakamura chuckled.

"Is she trying to look like a parrot?" The small boy asked as he pulled out an equally bright pair of thigh high socks.

Nakamura couldn't help but laugh at Goro's comment. She loved the child's blunt honesty. Not to mention, the bewilderment on his face was hilarious.

"I've no idea… You find all sorts of weird and wonderful fashion trends in Harajuku…" She replied between giggles, placing a baggy t-shirt onto Koutarou's pile.

"I don't see how blinding people is fashionable, though…" Goro remarked as he grimaced at the leopard print top coated in glitter.

Nakamura burst out laughing again.

"M-Maybe we sh-should talk about something else?" She suggested as her eyes watered.

"Like what?" Asked Goro, taking another sip of his tea. It really was delicious.

"Like… Hmm… Oh, uh, what kind of jobs have you done?" Nakamura replied. She was actually rather curious about that. She couldn't help but worry that Goro might be overworking himself.

"Hm… Well, I've mostly just been helping Takehara-san with random stuff around the house. Stuff like vacuuming, polishing stuff, dusting off cobwebs… Stuff like that. Oh, and sometimes I do her shopping for her. She finds it really hard to walk around now but the elevator's almost always broken, so she can't really do anything." Goro answered with a thoughtful expression as he carefully folded each piece of clothing.

"That's good to hear… I've been worried about Takehara-san lately but I've been too busy with my own business to check up on her… I'm glad that she has you keeping her company." Nakamura smiled warmly. Despite his cheeky nature and bad temper, Goro was a sweet boy. Goro returned her smile.

"I'm glad that I can help her. Plus, she promised that she'd teach me how to make pancakes for Mama's birthday! I just had to get the ingredients we'd need." He enthusiastically informed the woman.

"Ooh, that sounds fun! Do you have any ideas of anything special you want to do with them?"

"Well, Takehara-san told me that she'd teach me the Western way to make pancakes; the one where you flip it in a pan. Ooh! And I heard about this trick you can do where you put coffee flavoured stuff into the batter to, y'know, give it a coffee taste. And I'll probably stick to stuff like syrup and chocolate chips for toppings, since they're Mama's favourites." Goro's eyes sparkled as he spoke about his plans for the pancakes.

"Ooh, well, they sound like they'll be absolutely delicious! And coffee and chocolate sounds like a perfect combination! They'll balance out the sweetness and bitterness perfectly. You could be a chef with ideas like that, Goro-kun."

Goro blushed at the sudden compliment. "Y-You're exaggerating…"

"Okay, okay… So, are there any other jobs you've done?" Nakamura returned to the original subject, sparing Goro any more embarrassment.

"I've been walking Michimiya-san's dogs twice a week-"

"Oh yes! I've seen you in the park with them! Looks like Coco-chan gives you a lot of trouble…"

Goro's face morphed into a petty scowl.

"She's such a pain… I swear she does it just to annoy me…"

"Haha… I'm sure she doesn't mean any harm by it… Is there anything else you've done?"

"Hmm… Well… Last week, I helped Hanamaki-san rearrange the shelves in his study. His cousin had sent him loads of their old books and he needed to make room. While we were digging through everything, he found some of his old copies of Feathermen manga and gave them to me!"

"That was nice of him! Which era of Feathermen were they?"

"The original!"

"Oh wow! I haven't seen any of those in years!"

"I know, right?! It was so cool to see the first set of Feathermen! It's crazy how much the designs have improved with each era!"

Nakamura giggled at the child's enthusiasm over his favourite series. She couldn't help but remember that was what her son used to be like… But now… She considered it lucky if she saw him make an expression other than scowling…

"Anything else?"

"Uhhh… Oh! I helped Hanae-san clean out her garage! She mostly asked me to help her sweep and polish stuff, but when we were finished, she showed me her motorcycle!"

"Ooh, that must have been cool!"

"It was! The engine was so loud!

"Oh, I know! I've run into her while she's been riding it before and she had to turn it off for us to be able to hear each other!"

"It's crazy! Oh, and then the next day, her neighbour asked me to help her tend to her garden! It was insane! All the rain made so many things grow way too much! So, we had to cut everything back to a suitable size! And then as an extra thank you, she gave me some flower seeds. She said they're called Yellow Begonias. She said they're really easy to take care of. Mama and me started growing some on our balcony!"

"Oooh, begonias are really pretty flowers! Have you seen them before?"

"No?"

"Oh, well, you'll be in for a lovely surprise when they bloom! Just like how your mum will be in for a lovely surprise on her birthday!"

Goro couldn't hold back his grin at that thought. The idea of his mother's big, beaming smile when she sees the dress she desperately wanted… It made his chest feel warm. He was so close to having enough money… Just a few more jobs… Just a few more and…

"This present you want to buy for your mum… Would it happen to be that purple dress on display in Croco Fur?" Nakamura spoke up again.

Goro stared up at her in disbelief. "H-How did you know?"

"I can't even begin to count the amount of times I've seen you stood outside that shop, staring at that one dress in particular while I've been out shopping." Nakamura chuckled with a knowing smile. Goro turned pink, embarrassed that someone had caught him doing that.

"I'm just worried that someone else will buy it first…" He admitted with a whisper, folding up the last of the clothes from his bag. Nakamura gave him a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Goro-kun… You've been working so hard, I just know you'll be able to get it! Just keep doing your best!"

Goro nodded shyly as he took the final few sips of his tea.

"Oh, and would you look at that! We're all done! So, um… Would you say that 200¥ is enough?" Nakamura asked as she opened up her purse.

"That's fine, Nakamura-san. Really, you don't need to pay me too much." Goro politely answered as he took the bill and slipped it into his wallet, ready to hide it in his piggy bank when he got home.

"Thanks again for helping me, Goro-kun. Now I actually have some time to relax before I have to make a start on dinner." Nakamura sighed as she walked Goro back to the front door.

"I was happy to help, Nakamura-san…. Um…" Goro trailed off.

"Yes?"

"Um, would I be able to take some of that tea home? You said it helped with relaxing and Mama really needs to relax at the moment…" He quietly requested, fiddling with the zip of his wallet as he averted his gaze.

Nakamura giggled softly before heading back into the kitchen. "Of course, you can, Goro-kun! I bought two boxes, after all!"

As she came back to the entrance, her gaze went straight down to Goro slipping his shoes back on. "Oh!"

Goro flinched at her sudden exclamation.

"Wh-What is it?"

"I've been meaning to mention this before, but I heard your mum muttering to herself that you needed some new shoes. So, here: You can have some of Koutarou's old shoes. They're still in pretty good condition and he wore them when he was your age, so they should fit you. Here you go, take them, I insist!"

Goro looked at the shoes in surprise. They were a basic blue and white pair of sneakers but the soles were pretty thick and the shoes themselves were sturdy. It would take a lot to wear them down.

"I-If you're sure…"

"I am!"

"W-Well then… Thank you very much, Nakamura-san…" Goro mumbled as he pulled the door open.

"Thank you very much for helping me, Goro-kun."

The sound of the door opening attracted the attention of a chestnut haired woman walking up the stairs.

"Goro? What were you doing in Nakamura-san's apartment?" She asked as she wandered over to the pair.

"He was just being a little angel and offered to help me with my laundry." Nakamura quickly replied so Goro wouldn't have to.

Sayaka's eyebrows raised. "Oh, that's so sweet of you, Pancake. Well done!"

Goro giggled shyly at his mother's praise.

"Oh, by the way, Akechi-san. I overheard saying Goro needed new shoes, so I gave him an old pair of Koutarou's sneakers." Nakamura informed her.

"O-Oh, are you absolutely sure?" Sayaka worriedly replied, not wanting to cause my trouble for her neighbour.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure. I mean, Koutarou wore those when he was eight and he's fourteen now, it's not like he's gonna fit into them again anytime soon." Nakamura assured her with an amused smirk.

Sayaka smiled back. "Well, alright then. Thank you, Nakamura-san, that's a huge help."

Goro wasn't paying attention to the conversation, though. He was more interested in the box in his mother's hand.

"Hey, Mama? What's that?" He asked, pointing to it.

"Oh! The bakery I work near was having a clearance sale type of thing. You know, selling products that are about to go stale at a discounted price. So I figured I might as well get us some treats."

"Ooh~" Goro could feel his mouth watering.

"Now that I think about it: There's a strawberry crème donut in here, those are your favourite, right, Nakamura-san? Here, you can have it. Consider it thanks for the shoes." Sayaka chuckled, opening the box and offering it to Nakamura.

"Ooh~ Don't mind if I do~ Thank you!" The raven haired woman giggled as she dug the donut in question out of the box.

"And actually… What's that box in your hands, Goro?" Sayaka pointed out with a curious expression.

"Oh, it's this new tea that Nakamura-san bought two boxes of. It's really, really nice so she let us have a box! It's really fruity, you've gotta try!" He excitedly informed her.

"They're on offer at 777. Two for the price of one." Nakamura added.

Sayaka nodded with an intrigued expression. "Well, tea and donuts sound lovely to me. C'mon then, Goro. Shall we?"

Goro took the hand she offered to him. "Yep!"

As the mother and son walked back down the hallway to the stairs, Goro subtly turned his head to look back at Nakamura.

"Thank you" He mouthed.

Nakamura didn't say anything. She simply winked and flashed him a big thumbs up.

"Are you ready for your lesson, Goro-kun?" Asked Takehara, pulling the required ingredients out of her cupboards.

"More or less…" Goro anxiously murmured as he slid his coat off and hung it up by the front door before making his way into Takehara's kitchen. In all honesty, he was a little nervous… He'd never made something like this before… What if he messed up?

"Don't be afraid of messing up. That's a big part of learning; making mistakes and improving from them." The elderly lady assured him as she pulled out all of the bowls and utensils they'd need. Goro flinched. How was she always-?

"You're probably wondering how I can always tell what you're thinking."

Goro flinched again, a vaguely terrified expression on his face.

Takehara turned to him and smiled. "Well, it's because I'm an esper, of course."

"Wha-?!" Goro gasped. Espers were real?! They weren't just something you saw in cartoons?!

The old woman couldn't help but laugh after seeing how stunned Goro was by that statement. "I'm only joking, Goro-kun. It's just a grandmother's intuition. It's like a mother's intuition but stronger because we've been around longer."

"O-Oh… Okay." Goro mumbled, a little embarrassed that he fell for that. Now that he thought about it… His mother could always seem to tell when something was bothering him. He was honestly surprised that she hadn't figured out what he was doing yet.

"Right. First things first, wash your hands." Announced Takehara, opening her handwritten recipe book to the page about pancakes.

"Okay." Goro complied, furiously scrubbing his hands and making sure they were as clean as possible. "Um… What is the difference between Japanese and Western pancakes?"

"Japanese pancakes are a lot bigger and fluffier. And Western pancakes are a lot thinner and you make them in pans. They're quite similar to crepes, if you've ever had those?"

"Ooh! I like crepes!"

"That's good! These pancakes are like crepes, just not as sweet. We tend to add sweetness with the toppings."

"Ahh, okay!"

"Okay, so let's get started. But first: put this on, Goro-kun. We don't want your clothes getting dirty." Takehara declared, handing a small apron to the chestnut haired boy. It was a very simple apron, just a deep red colour with a single large pocket on the front. Goro pulled it down over his head and tied it up at the back. It was the perfect size for him.

"Oh, that's good, it does fit. It used to be my grandson's apron, but he was always very tall for his age."

"Thank you, Takehara-san."

"It's not a problem, Goro-kun. Okay, now, let's actually get started. Step one: Beat the eggs and milk until light and foamy. Have you ever cracked eggs before?" The old woman asked as she began reading through the instructions. Goro stiffly shook his head. Takehara flashed him an understanding smile. "That's okay. It seems quite scary when you're young, doesn't it? But it's actually quite easy. Look, this recipe needs two eggs; I'll show you how and then you can give it a try."

"O-Okay…" Goro nervously agreed. The idea of cracking eggs did seem scary to him. He couldn't help but worry about making a mess or getting the shells in the mixture. He watched closely as Takehara picked up the first egg.

"It really is easy, Goro-kun. Watch: All you have to do is slam it against the bowl's rim, not too hard but not too soft. Just enough to make the middle easy to pull open" She hit the egg against the bowl, cracking it open.

"And then you hold each half of the egg and pull until everything in it falls into the bowl." She held the egg over the bowl and dumped the yolk into it. "And there's no need to worry if any shells fall in. As long as you fish all of them out, it's still okay."

After placing the broken shell in the nearby bin, Takehara looked at Goro. "Well? You think you can do it?"

"I-I'll try…" Goro anxiously replied as he picked the second egg up with a shaky hand. He bashed it against the bowl. The shell only had a small dent.

"Not quite hard enough… Hit it again, a little harder. Just a little harder, though." Takehara commented.

Goro complied and slammed the egg against the bowl. A nice, loud 'crack!' sounded out. He hurriedly held it over the bowl as the egg white began to leak out.

"That's very good! And now just pull it open."

Goro carefully pried the egg open and watched the yolk fall into the bowl. He scanned his eyes over the bowl, searching for any shards of the shell. A relieved sigh left his mouth after discovering none.

"There we go. Was that so hard?" Takehara giggled as she slipped the other egg shell into the bin. Goro just grumbled stressfully under his breath. "I know, I know. Don't worry, it gets much easier the more often you do it. You'll reach a point where you'll be able to crack eggs without even thinking about it."

"Mm-hm… So, how much milk does the recipe need?" Asked Goro as he pulled the carton of milk and the measuring cup closer to himself.

"1 ¼ cups. Don't worry, that cup says how much a quarter is." Takehara informed him, pointing to the marker on the side of the cup. Goro nodded to show his understanding before pouring the necessary amount of milk into the cup and then into the bowl with the eggs. "And now beat them until they're foamy. Basically, you just have to whisk them really quickly."

"Okay." Was Goro's simple reply as he picked up the nearby fork. Sounded easy enough. He whisked the mixture for a good few minutes, trying his best to ignore the aching in his wrist, until it looked light and foamy. The small boy looked up at Takehara for approval.

The old lady nodded. "Yep, that looks perfect. Now onto step 2: Whisk all the dry ingredients together. So, put the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into the bowl and mix them all up."

"How much of each?" Asked Goro.

Takehara glanced back down at her recipe. "1 ½ cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 2 tablespoons of sugar and ¾ tablespoon of salt. Oh, and since you want to try that coffee flavoured batter, I'd say about a teaspoon of the coffee powder."

Goro tilted his head in confusion. "How do I measure out ¾ of a tablespoon…?"

"Honestly, you can just eyeball it. It doesn't matter if it's slightly off." The elderly woman assured him.

"Oh, okay then." Goro took her word for it as he began measuring everything out and adding them to the second mixing bowl. All of the powders tickled his nose as he poured them into the bowl with each other, trying his hardest not to sneeze.

"Now just whisk them together so everything is evenly distributed."

"Why does everything need to be evenly distributed?" Goro queried, doing as he was told and whisking the dry ingredients together.

"Well, to make sure that every part of the pancake has the same amount of each ingredient. You wouldn't want one bite to be really salty and another to be really sweet, would you?"

"Huh. Yeah, I suppose that's true."

Goro continued the whisking until Takehara told him to stop. "That should be enough."

"Um… How can you tell…?" Asked Goro. The mixture didn't really look any different to him.

"It's just instinct. Something you'll need to learn, Goro-kun, is that while most cooking is very precise, there are times where you have to make random guesses. It gets easier with each time you try."

"... Sounds confusing…"

"It is the first few times. My mother told me that a way to make it easier and a little more fun is to pretend you're being a detective and making deductions about the food."

Goro couldn't help but giggle at that idea. It did sound like fun.

"Ready to move onto the next step?"

"Yep!"

"Alright then, step 3: Quickly and gently mix the dry ingredients into the egg and milk mixture. And then once it's become batter, let it rest for fifteen minutes. When it rests, it thickens up a bit, that's how they get nice and fluffy."

Goro nodded curiously at that information. Cooking was actually quite interesting. He carefully tipped the dry ingredients, taking care not to spill any onto the countertop, into the wet mixture and began stirring them together. He mixed them as quickly as he could, but made gentle motions so none of the batter would spill.

"There you go. That's exactly it! Well done, Goro-kun, good job!" Takehara praised him cheerfully. A prideful smirk wormed its way onto Goro's face.

"Okay, so while we leave that to rest, we need to preheat the hob. I'll handle this, so you just wash your hands and get yourself a drink." The elderly lady ordered as she began fiddling with one of the knobs on her oven.

"Okay. Could I have some orange juice please?" The small boy requested while he scrubbed his hands again.

"Of course you can, Pumpkin, help yourself."

Goro looked over at Takehara with a baffled expression.

"...'Pumpkin'...?"

"Hmm? Did I say something wrong Kait-" Takehara cut herself off when she looked back at Goro. Her face morphed into a pained grimace.

"O-Oh… Oh, I'm so sorry, Goro-kun. I-I just…"

"Who's Kaito? I-If I'm allowed to ask."

Takehara looked away with a depressed expression as she let out a loud, long sigh.

"Kaito is the name of my grandson." She eventually answered.

Goro raised his eyebrows. He had a feeling that was the case.

"It's just Pumpkin used to be my little nickname for him when he was growing up and you remind me a little of him… I-It was just a slip of the tongue, I'm sorry, Goro-kun." The elderly woman hurriedly apologised.

Goro softly shook his head. "It's okay, Takehara-san. I'm not angry. It'd be silly to be angry over something like that."

A relieved breath left Takehara's mouth. "I'm glad to hear that, Goro-kun."

"So, how old is Kaito-san?"

A dejected frown enveloped Takehara's face as she thought about him.

"I last saw him when he was ten… He'd be about twenty five now."

Goro's jaw fell wide open. Fifteen years…? She hadn't seen her grandson in fifteen years? He remembered her mentioning that her family never visited anymore, but fifteen years?!

"Wh-Why don't they come visit you?" He cautiously asked, not wanting to hit a nerve.

Takehara's frown grew bigger while her eyes grew redder.

"I don't know…" She admitted.

Goro stood in awkward silence. He didn't really know what to say. He couldn't imagine how painful that would be: Saying goodbye on a regular family visit, expecting them to visit again soon and then just… never seeing them again… It was too cruel… Just how lonely had she been these past few years? He thought about his own mother, and how he could never bring himself to leave her alone for that long. The idea of his mother in Takehara's situation made him feel sick.

When he looked up, he noticed Takehara blankly staring at a small photo on the nearby cabinet. It was of her, looking a little younger, hugging a small boy. His hair was pitch black and in a very similar style to Goro's. That must be Kaito… And Takehara looked so happy… The photo made Goro's chest hurt for some reason.

"U-Um…" He spoke up.

Takehara's attention turned back to him.

"I-If you'd like… Even after I've saved up the money for Mama's dress… I-I could come round and help you with stuff or just talk with you? You wouldn't have to pay me or anything, I'd just… Y'know, keep you company? I-I mean, if you wanted me to…" He suggested with a bashfully stutter, looking down at the floor to hide his pink cheeks as he shyly kicked his foot.

Takehara stared at him in stunned silence. Her eyes red as she looked down at the tiny boy.

A quiet, breathy chuckle escaped her throat.

Then another.

Then another.

She quickly wiped her eyes before stepping over to Goro.

The small boy panicked. Had he offended her somehow?

A hand gently ruffled his hair.

He looked up to find Takehara smiling brightly.

"Thank you so much, Goro-kun. That's… That's so sweet of you… I'd like that very much."

Goro didn't really know how to respond. He was just glad that she was smiling again.

So he simply smiled back.

A loud click startled the two, causing them to turn their attention to the oven.

"Oh! It's heated up. Wow, that was a quick fifteen minutes!" Takehara remarked in surprise.

"Does that mean it's time to move onto the next step?" Asked Goro, glancing over at the batter in the bowl.

"Are you sure you don't want to have a drink first?"

"Mm-hm, I wanna continue the lesson."

"Well, alright then. Let's see…" Takehara flicked her eyes across her recipe book again. "Okay, first, you need to grease up the pan with either butter or oil; which would you like to use, Goro-kun?"

"Hmmmm, butter."

"Okay." The old woman scooped some butter out of the container and into the frying pan, swirling it around and coating the entire bottom with it as it melted.

"And now, we finally get to the actual cooking. So, get the bowl and pour a little bit into the pan."

"U-Um… How when I know when it's enough?" Goro cautiously asked as he balanced on his step, holding the bowl against his chest.

"It's one of those things that you just guess. But, I'll tell you when to stop, just so you can get a rough idea of how big it should be."

"Okay."

"Are you ready?"

"Yep!"

"Good, good. Now, start pouring."

Goro did as he was told and began slowly and carefully pouring the batter into the pan, watching as the mixture spread around.

"Keep going… Keep going… Stop."

"Are you sure that's enough?" The small boy asked as he placed the bowl back down onto the counter. The batter wasn't covering the whole pan… He thought it was supposed to...

"I'm sure. You don't want your pancakes to be too thick, so you just pour in a little bit and spread it around the pan like so. You see?" The elderly lady demonstrated, twirling the pan around until the entire bottom was coated in the batter before placing the pan back onto the hob.

"Ohhhhh, okay. Is that why you just guess? Because everyone has their own preference?" Goro asked with a curious expression.

"That's exactly right, Goro-kun! See? You're really starting to get the hang of this!" Takehara cheered, ruffling Goro's hair softly. Goro giggled bashfully.

"Right. Now you let the batter bake until you can see bubbles beginning to form and break on the top, okay?" The old lady turned her attention back to the cooking lesson, not wanting to overcook the pancakes. Goro gave an understanding nod, watching the pancake carefully for any bubbles. Takehara couldn't help but laugh quietly to herself at the sight of Goro's determined scowl.

"Ah, it's bubbling!" He pointed out.

"Very good. And now, it's onto the part you were most worried about, isn't it?" Takehara commented as she took hold of Goro's hands and made them grip tightly onto the pan handle. Goro just nervously mumbled under his breath.

"Don't worry, this is one of those things that gets easier the more you practise. Now, the trick is to push the pan forward and up; that gives the pancake the momentum to flip. Does that help?" Takehara advised the small boy.

"U-Um… Yeah. I think I got it…" Goro shakily replied. Takehara released his hands, letting him hold the pan by himself, and gave him an encouraging pat on the back.

"Go on, then. Give it a try."

Goro gently pulled the frying pan back and forth to get a feel of the weight of it before giving his first attempt.

He quickly pushed the pan forward and upward.

The pancake barely budged an inch.

"You'll need a bit more force than that." Commented Takehara.

"R-Right…" Goro pouted anxiously as he prepared for his second attempt.

He pushed the pan up again.

The pancake shifted slightly.

An irritated puff left Goro's mouth. This was harder than he thought…

"Almost there, Goro-kun. Just a little harder than that and you'll get it."

"Right…" Goro tensed his arm muscles as he gave his third attempt.

He shoved the pan forward and up.

The pancake flew upward.

…

A little too far upward.

It flew over Goro's head.

And landed on the dining table with a 'splat!'

Takehara and Goro stared at it in a stunned silence.

"U-Um…"

Goro didn't know what to say or what to do.

Takehara scoffed loudly before bursting into laughter.

"M-Maybe not that hard, Goro-kun…!" She gasped between giggles as she swept up the mess and dumped it into the bin.

"Sorry…" Goro mumbled with a bashful pout, staring down at the floor as his cheeks flushed a deep red.

"No need to get embarrassed. That's the whole reason we're having this lesson, isn't it? So you make mistakes now and learn from them before you make pancakes for your mum. You just need to try again; we've got plenty of batter left." Takehara reassured him, spraying the table with disinfectant and wiping it clean.

Goro looked back up with a determined glare before placing the frying pan back on the hob, dropping a scoop of butter into it. "Right! I'll give it another go! I'll get it right this time!"

"That's the spirit!"

Goro copied the steps he saw just a few minutes ago: Coat the pan in melted butter, pour the batter into the pan, spread it evenly around the pan, wait for the batter to start bubbling… And then it was time to retry flipping the pancake.

"Okay… Not too soft… Not too hard… Just the right amount of force…" Goro muttered to himself as he scowled down at the pan with determination. Takehara didn't even bother to say anything; the look in Goro's eyes told her that he was too concentrated on the pancake to hear anything she would say.

Goro rocked the pan back and forth in preparation, loosening the pancake from the edges slightly.

"One… Two… Three!"

On three, he thrust the pan upwards. The pancake leapt into the air and landed back in the pan, the middle slightly crumpled. Goro panicked at the sight. Now it would be all messed up!

"That's it! Very good! Don't worry, it's fine when it lands like this! All you have to do is straighten it out! See? It's all good." Takehara reassured him as she quickly grabbed a spatula and nudged the pancake back into a flat circle.

"Oh thank god…" Goro sighed in relief as he placed the pan back on the hob to let the other side bake. "So how long does this side have to bake?"

"Just until it's brown. That usually only takes around two minutes."

"That quick?!"

"Yep. You see how easy it is to make pancakes now?"

"Yeah… It's actually really easy!"

"And you did really well for a beginner!"

A worried frown enveloped Goro's face.

"But… What if it doesn't taste good?"

"Well, it's time we found out. C'mon, it should be done now."

"W-What do I do?"

"Just slide it out of the pan and onto the plate." Takehara stated, grabbing a plate from the nearby cupboard and placing it onto the table. Goro carefully lifted the pan and carried it over to the table. He tilted it slightly over the plate, letting the pancake fall onto it and then carefully pulled the pan away.

Success!

The pancake was lying on the plate, completely unscathed and in one piece. Goro couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself as relief washed through him.

"Very, very good! And now…" Takehara poured syrup and chocolate chips on top of the pancake before handing a fork to Goro. "Let's see how it tastes, shall we?"

Goro took an anxious gulp as he gently tore a piece off the pancake, being sure to get plenty of syrup and chocolate with it. He waited until Takehara had a forkful of her own before blowing on his piece, cooling it down before finally placing it in his mouth.

His eyes widened.

The sweetness immediately hit his tongue. Most of it came from the syrup and chocolate, but he could taste the sugar and butter from the pancake too. It was overwhelmingly sweet, though. It was more of a… comforting sweetness. The kind that made you feel happy after a long day. But there was a saltiness to it too. It really helped balance the whole thing out. And then there was the coffee. It added a slight bitterness but the overall taste was so soothing, so homely… Goro loved it.

"It's delicious, Goro-kun! Well done! Very well done!" Takehara cheered, digging her fork in for another bite. She froze as she looked over at Goro. "Hey, hey… Why are you crying?"

Goro lifted his hand up to his eyes. Sure enough, he was crying. Why was he crying? He sniffed and rubbed his eyes. "It's good… It's really good…"

"It is! You did a really good job for your first time making them. You should be proud of yourself!" Takehara praised him as she handed him a tissue.

"I-... I am… S-So, why am I-?" Goro hiccuped, blowing his nose. Takehara wrapped her arm around him and softly stroked his shoulder.

"It's okay… You've been working very, very hard lately. You're probably tired. Just let it all out, Goro-kun. Trust me, it's not healthy to bottle it up. If you need to cry, go ahead and cry." She sweetly cooed as she pulled him into a much needed hug.

Goro frowned in confusion. That didn't sound right… He'd always heard that crying was a sign of weakness… Sure, his mother always told him to cry if he needed to, but… If it wasn't a sign of weakness, then why did she always wait until she thought he was asleep to cry?

His sobbing continued as he cautiously wrapped his arms around Takehara. He didn't know any of his grandparents… Is this what they were like? Were all grandparents this comforting? A quiet yawn left his mouth. Now that Takehara mentioned it, he has been feeling really exhausted lately…

The elderly lady pulled away, holding onto Goro's shoulders and forcing him to look at her. "Now, I want you to promise me something. I want you to do nothing tomorrow. No jobs, no chores, no homework. I want you to take some to relax and recharge your batteries. Do you think you can do that for me?"

"B-But, I need to-"

"What you need to do is rest. How do you think your mum would feel if she knew that you had made yourself sick for her sake? You need to regain your strength. Do you think you can do that for me?"

Goro grimaced as he thought about his mother. A look of worry and guilt on her face as she took care of him. He didn't want to cause trouble for her… He just wanted her to smile.

"...Okay."

Takehara smiled and tousled his hair.

"Good boy. Now you sit at that table and have a drink. I'll use the rest of the batter to make more pancakes and we can sit down and enjoy them together."

"Okay."

Goro carefully sat himself down, blowing his nose again as his crying finally began to calm down. He watched as Takehara quickly made more pancakes. Would he be able to make them that quickly if he kept practising? His mind kept wandering and repeating Takehara's words. He didn't realise that he had been doing the very thing he was always worried about his mother doing.

That's when it hit him.

He had always been worrying about his mother and wanting her to take care of herself… But the reverse was also true.

All his mother wanted was for him to take care of himself too.

Goro sped through the city streets as fast as his short legs could carry him. It was November 29th and he had done it! He'd saved up enough money to buy the dress!

He was a little relieved that his mother had the early shift today since it made it a lot easier to sneak his piggy bank into his school bag before heading out. He had been restless all day; just wanting his lessons to end so he could get his mother's present already. His teacher didn't even get the chance to finish their usual 'pack up for the day' speech before he bolted out the classroom. He'd probably get a lecture tomorrow, but it'll be worth it!

A red light made him skid to a halt as cars drove past. He bounced restlessly at the crossing, urging the light to hurry up and turn green again. He could hear some nearby housewives giggling at him, but he didn't really pay attention. The wet ground glistened under the streetlights, the sky was turning a lovely purple colour as the late autumn sun was setting, and a cold, bitter wind stung Goro's cheeks as it blew past.

Just a few more days and it would be Winter, huh? The month sure had gone by fast… Then again, this was the busiest he'd ever been. He didn't even have the time to check the time. Although… He had to admit, he really enjoyed the two days break he took, due to Takehara's request. He didn't realise just how exhausted he was… Just those two days worked wonders.

A flash of green and a loud beeping pulled him out of those thoughts, serving as his signal to start running again. He sprang across the road and continued his rush over to the shop he had in mind. He was a little worried about the possibility of his piggy bank breaking in his bag, but he had wrapped it in his spare sweater so it should be fine, right?

Speeding through the streets, Goro carefully squeezed through the crowds of teenagers heading home from school and adults heading home from their jobs, shouting out a lot of apologies to everyone he happened to nudge or bump into as he passed.

Finally, he skidded around the final corner and started his last mad dash towards his destination. He couldn't stop the grin enveloping his face. This was finally it!

He ground to a halt in front of the usual window.

His smile fell.

His heart sank.

The dress.

It was gone.

He… got there too late.

"B-But… I worked so hard…" He muttered to himself with a broken tone. He stared up at the empty window, a heartbroken grimace on his face.

His backpack felt heavy as it weighed down on his shoulders. At first, he liked it - It told him that all of his hard work had paid off. But now… Now it just felt like wasted effort. All of that work… for nothing.

All he wanted was to see his mother smile… Was that really such an unreasonable desire?

He bit his lip as bitter tears began to spill from his eyes. His shoulders shuddered. He clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles turned white. It wasn't fair… It wasn't fair!

The stares of people walking past burned into him as he continued sobbing. Why couldn't they mind their damn business?! Stop looking already!

As he stared down at his feet, a young woman poked her head around the store entrance.

"Oh? Are you finally here for the dress?" She asked with an expectant smile.

"Huh?" Goro hiccuped, lifting his head and looking up at her. The woman's eyes widened at the sight of his tears.

"Hey, hey! What's wrong?" She softly cooed as she bent down to comfort the small boy.

"I-I… I've been doing chores and saving up all month to buy a dress b-but… I've got… got money now and it's gone…" The chestnut haired boy managed to gasp out between sobs. A quiet chuckle left the woman's mouth as she made sense of the situation.

"O-Oh… Right, okay. Sorry for scaring you." She apologized, handing a tissue to Goro.

"W-What do you mean?" He asked before blowing his nose.

"I've seen you stop in front of the store and staring at the purple dress almost every day for the past month. I figured that you were probably saving up and would have enough money soon, so I reserved it for you. I didn't mean to make you worry..." She explained sheepishly, a little embarrassed that her plan backfired and upset a small child.

Goro looked up at her with wide eyes. "You… You did that for me?"

The store worker giggled quietly. "You always looked so determined when you looked at that dress, I just wanted to help out in some way."

Goro didn't really know what to say. It was one thing having his neighbours help him; they knew him and his mother and they were getting something in return. But for a complete stranger to help him… It was weird. It made his chest feel really warm.

"Th-Thank you…" He mumbled shyly, suddenly realising that he had cried in front of a complete stranger.

"It's alright! Now, c'mon, let's get that dress!" The young lady cheered, giving Goro a gentle nudge into the shop. "So, is there someone in particular you wanted to buy the dress for?"

"My mama. It's her birthday in two days." Goro answered, letting the store clerk lead him over to the cashiers. A young man stood behind the counter with an older woman. The two of them glanced down at Goro and smirked knowingly.

"So, this is the kid, huh?" The man chuckled softly.

"Yep! Now, you two keep an eye on him while I fetch the dress!" The younger woman giggled before jogging off towards the back of the shop.

"Have you got the money for the dress?" The man enquired, just wanting to make sure that he wouldn't get into trouble with his boss. Goro nodded, slipping his backpack off of his shoulders and pulling out the piggy bank that was so full the coins couldn't even jingle anymore.

The stylish man laughed excitedly as Goro carefully placed the piggy bank onto the counter. "Oh man! I had a piggy bank just like this one when I was a kid!"

"It definitely looks like something boys would like. I remember when I was little, I had one that looked like my favourite character from an anime I watched. I loved it so much that I cried when I had to smash it…" The older woman reminisced.

"Hey, yeah, that's a good point. You sure you wanna lose this?" The man asked Goro. It seemed a shame to lose something like that.

Goro replied with a determined nod. "All the money I earned is in there. If it means I can buy a special birthday present from my mama, I'm fine with breaking it."

The two workers looked at him in surprise.

"So mature…" The woman murmured. That was an unexpectedly mature response from such a young boy.

"Alright then, if you're sure." The man replied as he nonchalantly pulled a hammer out from under the counter. The woman looked at him in shock.

"Why do you have a hammer there?!"

"A couple of the shelves have been loose for a while. I brought it up with the manager but he didn't do anything about it, so I just figured I'd fix them myself."

"Oh, that's you that fixed them? I wondered why they suddenly stopped wobbling."

"Yup. Just got annoyed of constantly being brushed off and did it myself."

"U-Um, excuse me…?" Goro awkwardly spoke up.

"Oh right, sorry 'bout that! Welp, you ready?" The man apologised before holding the hammer above the porcelain piggy. Goro nodded. "Alright then… One… Two… Three!"

On three, he swung the hammer down and smashed the bank to pieces, causing the money to come spilling out.

"Oh wow! You really have been busy, haven't you?" The old woman gasped as she began separating the money and the shards of broken porcelain.

"Mm-hm. I just wanted to surprise Mama, so I worked really hard."

"Well, you did a great job, kid!" Cheered the man with a wide grin, helping his colleague to sort the money and shards. "We have a dustpan and brush, don't we?"

The older woman nodded. "Just over there, I'll get it."

Goro watched as they swept up the shattered remains of his piggy bank and dumped them into the nearby waste bin.

"Alrighty, I'll count the notes and you count the coins."

"Sure thing."

"I've got the dress!" The younger woman declared with a cheery smile as she returned, carrying the dress in the question carefully in her arms. Goro's eyes widened. No matter how many times he saw it, he was still amazed by how pretty it was…

He couldn't wait to see his mother smile when she wore it.

This past month had been exhausting, but just the thought of his mother's smile made all of his hard work worth it.

An excited glimmer shone through his eyes as the young woman took her place behind the cash registers and placed the dress onto the counter. She glanced over at her co-workers when they finally finished counting. "Well? Is there enough?"

"Yep! He's got a solid 7000¥ here!"

Goro breathed a sigh of relief. He had been a little worried about the possibility that he had miscounted and didn't have enough. The man and older woman entered the required information into the cash register and began placing the money into their respective slots.

"Would you like me to gift wrap it for you?" The younger woman enquired.

"Oh! Yes, please!" Goro was glad that was an option. He'd never been very good at wrapping up presents… He'd always misjudge how much wrapping paper he needed, he could never manage to cover all of the present and he had lost count of the amount of times he'd pulled a little too hard and ripped the paper.

"Okie dokie! And which paper would you like?" The woman asked, directing his attention to the different patterns on display.

There were the usual Christmas themed ones that you always saw at that time of year. Ones with patterns of Santa, reindeer, candy canes, holly, mistletoe, etc. This was a birthday present, not a Christmas present so Goro didn't pay any mind to those ones.

There was a lilac one with a floral pattern. Hmm… It was pretty, but the dress had a floral pattern too… He didn't wanna overdo it with the flowers.

There was a bright blue one with a comic book theme. It was patterned with speech bubbles with words like 'Pow!' and 'Boom!' and 'Kablam!'. Goro's face scrunched up at the sight of it. His mother wasn't really bothered by comics so that was a definite no.

There was a deep, navy blue one with constellation patterns. He recognised some of them from lessons he'd had at school. It was really, really pretty. So, it was a possible candidate.

There was a dark green leaf patterned one. It was nice but compared to the others, it was a little… boring.

There was the usual super cutesy pastel pink with kitten patterns on it. Nope.

The was a black one with purple and orange pumpkin patter- wait, they still had Halloween stuff in the shop? But that was a whole month ago? Goro shook his head in confusion and ruled it out.

The last one was a lovely deep shade of red. One that was easy on the eyes. The pattern was small pictures of crows. Flying, picking up shiny objects, sleeping in their nests, snuggling with family. Goro's mind immediately went to the sweater his mother bought for him last Christmas.

"That one." He announced, pointing at the crow wrapping paper.

"You sure?"

"Mm-hm!" He confidently replied with a soft smile, his cheeks flushed a pale pink.

"Okie dokie!" The young woman giggled as she carefully folded the dress and pulled out the required amount of paper. Goro watched carefully as she lined up the paper and precisely folded and taped it down, making it look as neat as possible. There was no way he could have wrapped it as nicely as that.

"And here you go, Sir!" She cheerfully grinned as she handed the present over to Goro.

"Thank you very much!" He politely replied, delicately clutching the present against his chest.

"I hope your mum has a great birthday!" The man called out as Goro made his way over to the exit.

"You be careful on your way home, now!" The older woman added.

"Thank you for all your help!" Goro called back with a grateful smile before exiting the store. The three store workers couldn't help but quietly laugh amongst themselves, happy that they were able to help such a sweet young boy surprise his mother.

"... Aaaaaand that makes five! That should be enough, right?" Goro mumbled thoughtfully to himself as he tipped the final pancake onto the plate.

The day had finally come.

It was his mother's birthday!

He had been so anxious at school all day. His teacher did pull him to the side during lunch and scold him for his tense behaviour, but once Goro explained, they understood… They were still probably going to lecture him for rushing out as soon as the final bell rang again, though… Oh well.

The chestnut boy had been hurrying around ever since he got home; changing into some neater clothes, digging the birthday present out from the back of his wardrobe, gathering the ingredients he needed, making the pancakes… He only had an hour and a half to get everything ready after all.

A relieved sigh left Goro's mouth as he added the final touches to the stack of pancakes; a small chunk of butter, a little bit of syrup, a sprinkle of chocolate chips and a single candle stabbed into the center of the butter on top.

The small boy couldn't stop the prideful grin spreading across his face. They looked really, really good!

After finishing his final task, he glanced up at the clock in the kitchen.

16:28PM

His eyes widened. She was gonna be home in two minutes! As that realisation hit him, he quickly grabbed the lighter his mother kept for emergencies and carefully lit the candle on the pancakes, keeping it at arm's length the entire time it was lit. After that, he pulled the party popper he had bought on his way home out of his school bag and positioned himself behind the wall separating the kitchen and the entrance hall. He reached up and turned off the light… And waited.

It wasn't long until he heard the familiar 'click' of the front door unlocking. The door slowly swung open.

"I'm home, Goro…" The voice he had been waiting for called out.

Now!

Goro leapt out from his hiding place and fired the party popper at her with an excited grin.

A startled yelp escaped Sayaka's mouth as she dropped her bag, caught off guard by the loud 'bang!' and confetti raining down on her.

"Wh-?!"

"Happy Birthday, Mama!" Goro cheered, beaming up at his mother with a loving smile.

Sayaka stared down at her son with wide eyes, clutching her still rapidly pounding chest. "Goro? Wh-What's going on? Why's it so dark in here? Haven't you put the lights on? I didn't forget to pay the electricity bill, did I?! Why do I smell syrup?"

Goro just smiled and reached his hand out towards his mother. Sayaka quickly slipped off her shoes and picked up her bag before taking hold of Goro's small hand and letting him lead her into the kitchen.

The first thing she noticed was the faint firey glow reflecting off the surfaces in the otherwise dark room. Her eyes slowly followed the glow towards the light source: the pancakes and the candle. She blinked in surprise as Goro made her take a seat in front of the delicious smelling stack of treats.

"Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday, dear Mama~ Happy birthday to you~" Goro bashfully sang, watching his mother intently to see her reactions.

Sayaka didn't know how to react. It had been so long since anyone had done anything to celebrate her birthday, including her. Now that she thought about it, she had actually completely forgotten that today was her birthday…

"G-Goro-"

"Blow out the candle and make a wish!" Goro reminded her, worried that the wax may drip onto the pancakes.

"Oh! Right! Of course!" Sayaka quickly agreed. A wish… A wish, huh? What would she wish for? Her mind was just so overwhelmed by her son's actions, she couldn't think straight. Wait… Yeah, that was it. She carefully leaned forward and pursed her lips.

'I wish Goro will grow up as happy and healthy as possible.'

As that wish ran through her mind, she took a deep breath and blew, extinguishing the small flame.

The room fell into darkness as the soft smell of smoke wafted past her nose, mixing in with the sweet smells of the syrup and chocolate. She heard Goro shuffling around behind her; a few seconds later, the lights flickered on again.

"What did you wish for?" He asked.

Sayaka smirked back with a mystic expression. "If I tell you, it won't come true, right?"

"Oh right! Sorry…"

Sayaka gently patted Goro's shoulder as she looked back down at the stack of pancakes, getting a better look at them now the lights were on. The batter was a dark brown, the syrup and melting butter flowed down from the top pancake to the plate, chocolate chips were scattered on top… It looked and smelled absolutely delicious.

"Oh Goro… I love them… Thank you so much…" She murmured, holding back her tears. She was so touched… Goro made these just for her…

"You haven't even tasted them yet!" Giggled the small boy.

Sayaka giggled back, picking up the knife and fork placed next to the plate. "You're absolutely right, well then…"

She carefully cut a small slice out of the stack, making sure to get a piece with plenty of syrup and chocolate on it. She couldn't help but chuckle softly after noticing Goro watching her like a hawk, anxiously awaiting her reaction.

"Thanks for the meal…!" She announced dramatically before placing the forkful into her mouth. A delighted gasp shot through her throat as the flavours exploded onto her taste buds. There was so much there! It was sweet, but not too sweet and… Could she taste some coffee in there too?! They were delicious! So, so, so delicious!

Quickly swallowing her mouthful, Sayaka reached over and tousled Goro's hair. "They're really tasty, Pancake! Where did you learn to make them?! I'm so proud of you!"

Goro grinned with pride. A wave of relief washed through him. She liked them! His hard work paid off! He couldn't stop the bashful giggle that escaped his mouth. "Takehara-san taught me! But I made these ones alllllll by myself!"

"Wow! That was nice of her! But, seriously, Goro, these are so good! I see I have my own little chef in the family! Maybe we should find some other recipes for you to try?" Sayaka suggested, overwhelmed with pride for her lovely son.

"Yeah! I wanna try new stuff! We could make them together!" He excitedly agreed.

"Of course! It'll be our new hobby!" Sayaka giggled as she continued eating the pancakes. She offered some to Goro but he declined, stating that he made them for her so she should eat them.

Goro patiently waited for his mother to finish her pancakes, chatting with her about her day and other random subjects while she ate. Finally, she ate the final mouthful and placed her cutlery onto the now empty plate. A contented sigh left her mouth.

"Thank you so much, Goro… They were really delicious." She thanked him once again with that soft smile he loved so much.

"I'm glad you liked them, Mama!" Goro bashfully giggled as she ruffled his hair. "... S-So, um, I've got something else for you…"

That's weird… Why was he suddenly nervous about giving her the present? He had worked so hard to save up and buy it for her… But now… He couldn't help but worry if she'd like it or not…

"Oh? What is it?" She asked with anticipation. Goro gestured for her to wait there before quickly scurrying into his bedroom and retrieving the present. He returned to the kitchen, hiding it behind his back. Sayaka watched him intently until he stood in front of her and displayed it shyly to her. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"O-Oh, Pancake, you really didn't have to…" She murmured, a little embarrassed by the lengths he went to just to celebrate her birthday.

"But I wanted to." Retorted Goro.

Sayaka laughed gently. "Can't really argue with that, can I?"

She took a good look at the wrapping paper. She couldn't help but smile. "This paper looks like your sweater, doesn't it?"

"Yeah! That's why I chose it!"

Sayaka smiled again. The pattern was so cute, she didn't want to rip it… She searched for where it had been taped down and carefully peeled it open, not wanting to ruin it.

Goro could feel his heart pounding nervously as his mother got closer and closer to unveiling the gift. Finally, she reached the final layer and dug her hand in to grab the present hidden within.

It felt soft.

Sayaka tilted her head curiously.

Was it… perhaps a plushie?

Well, only one way to find out.

She pulled it out as she placed the paper onto the table.

It was a purple fabric… Wait, it was folded up. What was it exactly?

She stood up and held it out in front of her, letting it fall free from the folds and reveal its full appearance.

An astonished gasp left her mouth as the material gracefully flowed down.

"Th-This is…"

The dress she desperately wanted but couldn't afford…

"G-Goro, how did you get this…?" She cautiously asked, her brain struggling to make sense of this.

"I did lots of little jobs for loads of our neighbours and saved up all month."

Sayaka looked down at Goro with a stunned expression.

"You… did all that for me?"

Goro smiled sweetly.

"Why wouldn't I? You're my Mama, after all!"

"I…"

Sayaka couldn't believe it.

He'd worked so hard…

He learnt something new…

He saved up all that money…

Just to buy her something she wanted.

Words couldn't describe how touched she was by those actions.

Without even realising it, tears began pouring down her face.

"M-Mama…?" Goro whimpered, scared he'd somehow upset her.

It… had been years since anyone had done anything like that for her.

Her friends, her family, that man… Everyone she had known and loved threw her away when they found out she was pregnant… No one wanted anything to do with her… No one wanted her to be happy… But Goro… Goro had tried his hardest just to make her happy.

Sayaka flung her arms around Goro and pulled him into a bone crushing hug. "Thank you, Goro… Thank you so, so much… Thank you…"

Goro was caught off guard by the sudden pressure but immediately hugged her back. "... Do you like it?"

"I love it, sweetheart. Thank you so much."

Goro's eyes sparkled as his mother pulled away.

There it was.

The smile he so desperately wanted to see.

It was the brightest, happiest, most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

She beamed uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the happiness that coursed through her and warmed her heart.

Goro couldn't help but take in every last detail.

The wrinkles in her eyes.

The dimple by her right cheek.

The way her nose scrunched up.

How bright her teeth were against her deep red lipstick.

The small crumbs of pancake still stuck just under her mouth.

Her smile was so beautiful, he couldn't help but smile back.

All of his hard work… All of those chores… All of those busy days… They were all worth it. They were worth it just to see that smile. After all, she deserved it. After everything she had done for him and how hard she'd been pushing herself lately… She deserved something special.

Sayaka cleared her throat, wiping her eyes as she composed herself. Goro tapped his chin, pointing out the area where his mother had crumbs on her face. The chestnut haired lady understood his gesture and brushed them off her chin.

"Well, I guess I should go and try this on." She suggested, excitedly holding up the stunning dress.

"Yeah, yeah! I wanna see!" Goro instantly agreed. Sayaka simply giggled and carried the dress into her bedroom, shutting the door behind.

As soon as the door clicked shut, Goro couldn't stop the ecstatic giggles leaving his mouth. The surprises were a complete success! He did it! He had spent the entire day waiting to surprise his mother and worrying about the possibility of her hating them, but she loved them! The relief and pride left his body in the form of those giggles as he sat himself down and swung his legs back and forth.

He glanced up at the clock as he waited for his mother to come back out and show off the dress. It shouldn't take this long to change into a dress, should it? Then again, he didn't know; he'd never worn a dress before, after all. Were they difficult to put on? They didn't look like they were… As he tilted his head in confusion, a little too invested in that one silly thought, a quiet knock turned his attention back to the door.

"Well, are you ready?" His mother called out through the door. Goro could hear the joy and excitement in her voice.

"Yeah!" He excitedly replied.

The handle slowly lowered and the door clicked before being quietly pulled open. Goro leaned forward in anticipation as his mother stepped out from behind the door and walked through the living room.

Goro's eyes glittered as he smiled in delight. The dress looked perfect on her. There were no other words. It was just perfect.

The silky material hugged Sayaka's waist tightly and then flowed gracefully around her legs.

The front showed off her ankles while the back only just fluttered above the floor.

The sleeves hung softly against her shoulders.

Sayaka had decided to complete the look by adding her favourite pink lace choker and silver stilettos.

She beamed brightly as she held the soft material out to the side and did a graceful twirl. She looked like a child who had just got everything they'd ever wanted for Christmas.

"Thank you so much, Goro. It's gorgeous…" She whispered with glee. Words couldn't describe the joy she felt when she saw her reflection in her mirror. "Well, what do you think?"

"You look like a princess!" Goro squealed excitedly. He knew she would! She looked just like the princess in the storybook she always used to read him before bedtime!

Sayaka blushed cheerfully at the adorable compliment as she decided to play along. "If I'm a princess, then does that make you my prince? Or perhaps my knight in shining armour?"

Goro giggled shyly. He remembered some of their previous conversations and shook his head. "Mm-mm. I'm your Robin Hood!"

Sayaka's eyes widened before yet another smile enveloped her face. This had been the most she had smiled in years. She picked up her phone and scrolled through her playlist before gently placing her phone back onto the nearby table.

"Well then, my dashing little Robin Hood…" The soft, soothing tune of her favourite song began echoing through the small apartment as she extended her hand towards her son. "May I have this dance?"

Goro looked up at her in surprise before laughing quietly. It had been quite some time since she was last relaxed enough to play around like this. He took her hand with a dramatic bow. "You may, my wonderful princess!"

Sayaka let out a giggle as she carefully balanced Goro's feet on top of hers. She held his hand out to the side and placed her other hand on his small shoulder. She kept a tight grip on him, ensuring he wouldn't lose his balance as they daintily waltzed around their kitchen. Their slow, calm movements synced up perfectly as they allowed the music to flow through their ears.

_"People come and they go…_

_Some people may stay with you, though…_

_I am all alone tonight, and I…_

_Kept on asking myself questions…"_

Sayaka closed her eyes, lifting Goro up and holding him in her arms as the melancholic melody washed over her. Goro was surprised by the action but he wasn't going to complain about a hug from his mother.

The chestnut haired woman softly swayed her body from side to side in time with the music. Now that she thought about it… This was what she always used to do to soothe Goro when he was a baby… But look at him now… How much he had grown… Time really does fly by, doesn't it?

The small chestnut haired boy wrapped his arms around his mother's shoulders and childishly nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck, breathing in the smell of the perfume that always reminded him of her. Sayaka couldn't help but smile lovingly at the sight. Well… It was still going to be a while before he was truly grown up… She had to treasure moments like this while she could.

Sayaka leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her son's forehead, lifting her hand and stroking his hair.

"I love you, Goro."

Goro smiled as he nuzzled even closer.

"I love you too, Mama."


End file.
